Diamond in the Rough
by vinegarette-kiss
Summary: AU A year's work at The Mansion for the life of his sister sounds way too good to be true for Gray. But things are never as they seem and soon he's pulled into the power struggle between NC's most nefarious crime syndicates. YAOI DRAMA HET REWRITTEN
1. 00: Chance

**Disclaimer:** Don't own the characters, just the plot.

**WARNING: ****This FIC HAS BEEN RE-EDITED- AND I MEAN MAJORLY RE-EDITED, I re-read it, loved the original idea but can kinda see where there were plot holes and bits where I feel like I just lost 'it'. Oh, this round over gray's intial gayness is less obv, like less of 'i'm here, I'm queer' and all that jazz lol. Looking back, it seems way weird, tho obviously he's still gunna end up gayer than rainbow unicorns with sparkly butt tattoos but you know, maybe not like just dropping it around of the blue. **

**Also, I got kinda into fire-spirits during chap 5-7 and stuff and I'm gunna keep what I have (except I might edit out Akyuras) – cuz at that time I thought I was actually gunna get to see the final. Turns out, as most of u guys know – they only dubbed up to half season….so, you know- I'm kinda going to stick to season 1 characs. I mean, some less important season 2's are still there. Actually, I think that's why I gave up in the first place – because season 2 killed it for me…but I think I just might be able to fix it later. **

**Also, the plot's more obvious in this one. I know the crime syndicate thing seems 'out of the blue' like OMGWTF did that come from? But that was actually the original plot but I spent way too much time building up stuff that wasn't totally necessary so the fic had all the things I love, but was missing my soul. **

**Same warnings as before apply, boy love 3, make-outs, freak-outs, and everything that came with this fic before. **

**PAIRINGz:** yet to be confirmed (but probably still the same stuff as before)

**Summary:**

**[AU][YAOI][HET][DRAMA]**

You can't put a price tag on life, but you can put one on how long it lasts – and Gray Michael Vincent would do anything to save his sister. Then a chance meeting sets him up with perfect opportunity – all the money he needs in return for one, insignificant year as Neon City's most (in)famous heir's bodyguard…and the newest pawn in the underground power struggle between Neon City's most nefarious crime syndicates.

_**Diamond in the Rough**_

--

**Prologue:** _Chance. _

_-_

Gray stared at the doctor in utter disbelief. The sum couldn't possibly be that much…the…the man had to be joking! He had to be!

"You…you are joking aren't you sir?" He managed to croak out, hoping his ears had deceived him.

Seeing the distraught young man in front of him, the doctor put on what he hoped was a consoling smile and patted the man on the shoulder. "I am sorry, but you heard me correctly. I'm afraid such a treatment is very expensive and to want it at such a short notice…the amount does total up."

"Short…short notice?" The blonde demanded amazed. Two years was _short notice?_

"Yes, two years for such a valued and prized treatment…unfortunately that is nearly impossible to achieve for someone of your…status. Perhaps it will be more affordable in ten years or so?"

Ten years? TEN YEARS? Gray resisted the urge to cry in front of the man and put on a polite smile, which he barely managed to muster. "Thank you sir, I'll get right back to you."

-

The door clicked shut behind him.

Outside, the summer sun shone down on the busy streets of Neon, the early afternoon charged with the buzz of shoppers and office-lunchers and longer queues than Gray had even thought possible.

Everything, the people, the heat – everything that should've impressed him – everything that had given him the little hope he had when he stepped out of the train seemed to be sucking the life out of him.

Every smile, every conversation, price-tag seemed to be another slap in the face.

So Gray did only thing he could do, he sat down – buried his head in his hands and tried to block it all out.

The amount of money needed was more than the whole income of Windtoon! And as he hated to admit it, there were some things even blood, sweat and tears could not accomplish.

He was the product of a death-by-birth mother and a somebody father. There was no long-lost fortune, no rich relatives – just a small country community that had tried to bring him and his sister with the best they could.

There was just no way. No single route left – and the thing was, Gray was pretty sure there had only ever been one way from the start.

He could feel himself giving up as tears threatened to burst through. He wasn't going to cry, damn it! Real men didn't cry, and oh, what the heck.

The tears rolled down his face and he didn't make a move to stop them.

-

A few minutes later, and a humiliating episode where a little boy picking his nose pointed out to his mom that, "look that guy's crying!" Gray had decided enough was enough.

He'd never been the crying-in-public type, heck, he'd never been the crying type and in then end, tears never got you anywhere.

Stapling that thought to his brain, he stood up, wiped his eye on the sleeve of his jacket and took a good hard look at 'the lighthouse of the world'.

Well, Gray thought as a busy mother-of three rammed into him at high speed, nearly crushing his foot with a pram – there were sure a heck load more people than he had ever seen before.

There were a lot of shops too, he noticed – clothes, hairdressers, cafés, food-marts, all sorts really. And then he saw it – hidden on the right corner of a bookstore, the _miracle blessing_ – the HELP WANTED SIGN.

-

"Sorry, you just don't have the experience we need darling."

The woman smiled at him with fake sympathy as he turned to leave. The last twenty interviews had all had similar responses, he wasn't experienced enough, not of 'high society,' didn't understand enough, too young; the list went on and on.

This was completely insane.

In fact, this whole idea – the whole trip here; how the hell had Gray ever thought that this crazy one last shot idea would ever work?

Had he really thought that all he'd need was to buy a train ticket and explain the situation to some smart-assed doctor without a lottery-inspired check?

And even now – what the hell was he trying to do anyway? Find a job? Find a job in _one day_ that would somehow, miraculously give him enough the same amount of cash that you'd get from robbing a bank?

It wasn't like he had a college degree or anything – heck, he'd bailed out after the last compulsory high school year to look after Leanne and she still got worse anyway.

The more he thought about it all, the crazier and stupider the whole idea got.

He was completely off his head to think this would work.

To come to Neon City with no real plan, no money – no idea of what he'd expect, what would be expected of him and now…now worse of all, after giving her _hope_, he'd have to go back with empty hands, an emptier wallet and tell her impossible was just another word for reality.

He'd let her down.

For 17 whole years, he'd manage to be her rock – to always do the right thing, and now, now he was going to have to turn back and see that smile stretch until it cracked and listen to the muffled sounds of small hiccups between bouts of tears and he knew that it'd crush her.

_Fuck_, he thought as he looked down at his automatically clenched fist, _there's no way I can just go back. _

_I've got to do something – something, no matter how insane or impossible, there's got to be _something_ out there._

-

_grrr. _

A growl from his stomach reminded him that he was human and needed to eat.

The nearest café was just a few metres from his bench and while the prices seemed way too expensive (they wanted _how much for a sandwich?_), his body told him he needed to eat or die.

Five minutes later, he sat on the bench stool staring out of the front window as he waited for his tuna-sandwich to arrive.

Ten minutes later, the sandwich was still MIA and Gray had moved onto his favourite hobby, people watching.

An overweight woman walked past him with a little poodle tagging along behind her. Expensive looking track-pants and enough shiny jewellery to pass herself off as a statue.

A middle-aged man walked along with a roll of newspaper. His glasses repeatedly slid off his nose and every time that happened, he'd push them up only to drop the stack of papers he was holding.

A green-haired boy walked past.

_Green hair_?

Gray glanced back, blinked then took a second look to make sure. Woah, Neon City was sure heck _not_ Windtoon – and the weirdest thing about the green hair was that it looked _natural_.

It wasn't like bright neon green or anything, and the guy wasn't even dressed weirdly. Actually, on closer inspection – he was dressed pretty smart. Combed hair, correctly knotted tie (something Gray had never mastered, or really needed to master anyway) and shoes so shiny that they _gleamed_. Everything looked neat and ironed and from the package in his arm, it almost looked like a very expensive uniform.

He looked a little older than Gray, maybe by a few years – eighteen, nineteen? Nineteen – maybe even twenty.

Gray craned his neck forward and then that's when he noticed _it_, a sliver cufflink in the shape feather half-curled around a shiny green emerald, arching out like a wing.

Automatically, his hands closed around the pendant on his own necklace as he noticed the startling similarities between the two items.

Gut instinct flared up and before he could even tell his body to stop, he was striding out the door after tall, green-haired with a emerald.

"_Hey, don't you want your sandwich sir?" _

The café door slammed shut, and lonely tuna-wich sat abandoned on the counter.

-

Two blocks later, a niggling voice in his head told him that this behaviour was usually classifed as 'stalking'.

Gray ignored that voice and told himself he was just taking a power-walk and he just happened to be going in the exact same direction that Emerald was going in. Yeah, nothing weird at all.

The streets were getting narrower, and even though there were less people, all the alleyways and shortcuts made his head hurt.

It felt like late afternoon, but as he got further and further into the side streets of Neon; everything seemed to look the same and the tall apartments encased the streets in shadow.

In fact, Gray wasn't even following the guy because he was interesting anymore. He was following the guy so he wouldn't get lost.

-

The streets had become oddly silent now, and the chill that down his back made him double his pace.

In front of him, Emerald stopped, looked to his right, then broke into a sprint into a left side-street.

Green disappeared around alleyways and bends, and Gray followed, footsteps pounding against gravel – desperate to keep his unknowing tour-guide within vision.

Another bend, another corner – this one, no, that other one – and then he was on a wide alley with empty boxes of bottles and discarded metal and there was no green-hair within vision.

Damnit. His breath was ragged as he slowed down, hands on his knees for support.

Where _was he?_

**BANG. **

**SCHHRSCHHzzzz. **

Right side, second opening – and again gut-instinct took over, spurring him into action. He rounded the corner, his hands already yanking his b-damon out of it's case.

Gravel. Emerald backed against the wall. Hands clutching tightly onto packaging. Sliver green gleam of metal.

Fear.

"**B-DA FIRE!"**

Aqua slices through the air slams into the arm of the hooded figure. Black legs staggered backwards from the impact and then vaulted up the fire escape, disappearing into an open door.

For a moment, all Gray feels is adrenaline pumping through him, everything he is, he was concentrated in the thump-thump-thump of his heart.

Then he looks down and sees Emerald slumped against the wall and his brain switches itself on again.

"Hey, you alright there?"

No response. Gray kneels next to him, gravel scraping at his knees through thin fabric.

"Hey, um, can you hear me?"

There is a faint groan. Then eyelids flutter girlishly, then half-lidded intense, definitely not girl-eyes look up into his.

"I'm fine, just a little – a little disorientated."

Emerald slowly stands up, using the wall for support and as Gray watches the older boy stagger to his feet it occurs to him that he probably should've offered to help and kicks himself mentally for just standing there.

"Thank you, for intervening." Emerald smiles, and it strikes that Gray that a), he feels dwarfed standing next to this guy and b) embarrassingly enough, this guy has a nice smile. "I'm mostly alright, thanks to you."

"It's nothing," Gray mumbles, suddenly awkward and shy in-front of this complete stranger that he's kinda stalked for over thirty minutes. "Just did what anyone'd do."

"I wouldn't say that you know, you don't even know me and you could've put yourself in serious danger." Suddenly the stranger's voice seems more serious, tight – and Gray involuntarily rocks back on his heel.

Sensing discomfort, another smile softens the comment. "I meant that anything could've happened – and I'm just really glad you were there.

Emerald takes a step forward and stretches out a hand, Gray tenses up but doesn't back away. Not yet.

"Thank you, again," then the hand freezes in mid-frame and for a second Gray swears he can see cogs grinding away behind forest-green eyes, "oh, I'm so sorry – I've just been standing here babbling on and I haven't even asked for your name!"

"It's Gray." The blonde lets out a inner sigh of relief – at last something he knows how to respond to. "Gray Michael Vincent."

The edge of Emerald's mouth twitches in badly hidden laughter and suddenly Gray is aware of exactly how much he'd sounded like a cowboy in a bad western movie.

"My name is Joshua," Eme-Joshua says and then extends his hand forward again, "pleased to meet you."

-

There is a awkward silence as Gray simply _stares_ at the hand and then the embarrassing surge forward as he realises he's meant to _shake it_.

The grasp is awkward, and somewhere between the handshake, both remember that it's polite to actually _look the other person in the eye_.

Eye-contact is just as awkward as the impromptu hand shake; green locks on to green and there seems to be a sudden intensity that makes the hair rise on the back of Gray's neck and that ever-present blush crawl across his cheeks. 

A moment later, Gray realises that they've been staring at each other for far too long – and he realises his hand is actually warm from the hand-shake that's turned into _hand-holding_.

Automatically Gray disentangles himself and takes three steps backward, redness enflaming his face as he hides the tainted hand behind his back.

They stand. Silence reigns.

Silence continues.

They stood there as the silence continued.

"You alright then Joshua?" he asks for the second time. "Oh, yeah, you said already, sorry," he hurriedly adds, and makes a mental note to just _not talk_ in the future.

"Thanks to you," Joshua lip twitches again, "and I suppose I've said that five times too, haven't I?" The twitch curves into a smile, and something about the older boy makes Gray smile back.

"Yeah, sort of."

Bzzzttt.

The low hum from Joshua's left pocket distracts both of them, and consequently causes Joshua to look to his right arm for the time. "Look, I'm really sorry to rush out on you like this but this delivery is really of utmost importance right now…"

"-I could come."

Joshua looks up, surprised and Gray stares back, equally surprised at his own words.

"You know, just incase – they come back." "Or something."

Gray digs into his pockets, "Or just until we head back to the main street. I, I'm not really a local…" He trails off, hoping he doesn't have to explain that he's kind of, completely l-o-s-t out here.

Thankfully, Joshua gets it – or doesn't ask. "Why not?", another easy smile, "I'm sure I could find some way of properly thanking you after."

Instantly, Gray's mouth opens, "No, it's fine, honest. I don't need anything."

"Don't be ridiculous." Joshua turns back, aghast, "Of course you do. You really did save me back there."

"No, I mean it," is the instant reply, accompanied by rapid head-shaking, "–it's fine."

"No, no, really I insist."

Then there was more hand-waving, protesting, insisting and head-shaking and then it repeated on itself as the duo navigated their way through the maze of side-streets back onto the main avenues of the Lamplight District.

And somewhere through it all, through increasingly casual conversation and easy smiles – it vaguely occurred to Gray that this day was turning out much better than he thought I'd be.

Two steps ahead of him, Joshua (now package free) gestured towards the open café door and as Gray followed suit, there was a small, but definite smile across his face.

Yeah, this day had gotten a _lot_ better.

-


	2. 01:

Disclaimer: I don't own Battle B-Daman

**Second chapter to be um, like – redone over. Hopefully gunna get all done in the next three weeks and keep going. But like, I just actually can't see anything happening for Beginning to Love/Learn so this is probably the only thing that will get re-worked on. The scenes are mostly the same, some stuff has been changed tho and the order is a bit more sense making. **

_**Diamond in the Rough**_

--

**o1:** _Chance. _

"Your skills are _very_ impressive, Gray."

"You think so?" A slight blush crept up his cheeks at the compliment, something Gray was definitely not used to.

"Certainly," Joshua says, leaning forward as he stirs his coffee and he can't help think that there is something vaguely hypnotic about the way Joshua talks, the way he drawls- no, softly dragged out certain syllables.

" Have you ever gotten any formal training?"

Gray shook his head, "No." Inwardly he hit himself, man – he really, really needed to work on this talking thing. Or was he meant to be working on the _not talking_ thing?

"That really is something then – I thought you were in town for the IBA preliminaries."

"IBA?"

"The International B-damon Associations. I just saw the poncho and assumed that you, well – clearly don't look like a local-"

"I look like a country bumpkin." The blond mutters darkly.

The green-haired boy immediately draws back. "Oh, forgive me if I offended you-"

Gray raised a hand, causing the other teen to stop. "It's fine."

Joshua takes another sip of coffee then sets it back down. "I didn't mean that – I meant, that I thought you were a professional. Especially the way you handled yourself back there and a lot of b-da players from out of town come in costume, to represent so to speak."

There was an awkward silence, and finally Gray managed to gather enough dignity to look up at Joshua.

"…I'm not in costume."

-

Several spluttering apologies, and Joshua turning the exact same shade as a tomato the conversation had thankfully moved away from Gray's fashion sense.

Unfortunately, it'd moved onto why Gray was in town.

"So, how did it go?"

Gray stares down at the remaining quarter of sandwich. "Not good." He swallows hard, "really, really bad."

Joshua didn't say anything for a minute, he just sat there with this look on his face. "Sometimes things just don't work out the way you want them to."

"_It's not __**that**_," Gray snaps, and then realises that his voice has gotten louder. He sinks back into his seat as nearby people stare. "I, I just don't want to disappoint her. That's all."

This time, Joshua doesn't stare. This time, Gray stares as something flickers across the older boy's face, and then Joshua nods. "I understand."

And just like that, with two words everything came undone.

Just broken fragments at first, like HELP WANTED signs and park benches, and then full sentences about doctors and fees and wanting to help, but ending up just _hurting_ instead.

Through it all, Joshua just sat there – eyes locked onto Gray, just existing.

-

"That's why I'm here." The blonde finished, now feeling slightly stupid at having blurted everything out.

"Money." Joshua leans back, arms folded across his chest, "That's all you really need."

Gray nods, then shakes his head. "Even if I had it – there's still a waiting list."

"But if you could – if you somehow had this money, this opportunity; everything would all go ahead?"

"Of course!" Gray swallows, "It sounds unrealistic, but I'm still going to try."

Pale hands brush green hair out of eyes, and then Joshua locks onto Gray. "If you are serious, a hundred percent sure that getting this for your sister is what you want – I might be able to help you."

-

"I work for Cain McDonnell, you might have heard of him – the McDonnell name is quite prominent globally."

Gray has no idea what he's talking about, but nods his head and tries to look like he understands everything.

"Recently, we've had a vacated spot within his personal staff. One of our bodyguards was recently injured under unfortunate circumstances."

The thump-thump-thump of his heart threatened to burst through skin and muscle as Gray leant forward with renewed hope.

"I understand that you do not have the expected qualifications – but you seem to have talent, and good self-instincts." Joshua folds his hands under his chin. "Most importantly, I feel that you are _trustworthy_."

"I am," and then Gray realises how stupid that comment is. "I mean-"

Joshua unsuccessfully hides a snicker. "I can see that. If you really are serious about this, then I may have a proposition for you."

-

"One year of employment as a personal staff member, and _all medical _expenses will be taken care of."

-

Joshua sighed as his headache increased by the minute. Cain was especially stubborn and trying to reason with him was like convincing a five-year-old that Santa wasn't real. Which explained why Joshua had been stuck in this study for the past three hours.

"I don't see why we have to hire someone _new _you know! Jou's perfectly fine – a couple of days and he'll be back before anyone even remembers that he's gone!"

"Cain," Joshua says, massaging his temple, "Jou is in _hospital_, and right now he's paralysed _from the waist down_."

"So, he's still got two arms right?"

"He can't _move right now_." Cain rolls his eyes, "Can't we get him like a scooter or something?"

"My point is, **Master Cain** that you need a new **bodyguard** and this option is as good as it's going to get under these circumstances."

"No, I don't. I mean, Asado's there right?"

"Asado already has a job. He can't be two places at once," Joshua says, and Cain purposely avoids eye-contact.

"Whatever. You're the one always going on about how we should _keep people around_ and now you wanna stick some one I don't even know with us _for a year?_"

Inside, a little part of Joshua dies at having to argue with someone like Cain. "I didn't say that – look," he pauses as the world's greatest idea hits him. "Look," Joshua says again, slower, "maybe you have a point."

Cain looks up in surprise. "I do?"

"Yes, actually – I think you may have a very good argument there. I mean, it is true – we really should get someone who you are more _familiar _with."

"Exactly," Cain smirks like that's been his great plan all along, "I mean – why the hell would we hire some bumpkin from _losertoon_ when we've got all these other options right here?"

Inside Joshua kills himself laughing, outside Joshua nods understandingly. "Precisely – we'll just ask Enjyu."

"Exac-WHAT?"

Cain's voice rises up into a near shriek, and all Joshua can think of is how much like a little girl he sounds right now.

"ENJYU? Out of everyone else – FUCKING **ENJYU?!**"

With violet eyes bugging out and gloved hands clutching onto the table, Cain's doing a very good impression of insanity.

Joshua loves how much Cain hates Enjyu and how much Enjyu hates him back. Joshua also loves (at certain times) Cain's amazingly versatile mood swings.

"Well, you've spent a lot of time together and he is well qualified," Joshua continues on, as if this is the ideal solution, "-of course, you'll have to spend _even more time_ _together_."

From the look on Cain's face to the idea of so much _Enjyu_, Joshua has to wonder if it is actually possible for a person's face to turn purple.

"He'd have to _move into the room next to yours_ and at public events he'd have to be ghosting your _every move_ and-"

**BANG.**

The door slams shut as Cain bolts out of the door.

Joshua lets out a satisfied smirk as he watches Cain retreat down the corridor, "Master Cain – where are you going? We have to set up a meeting with Enjyu and sort out room arrangeme-"

The white trench coat swishes as Cain turns around, mouth pulled into a line. "**No Enjyu**."

"But Master Cain – then who _are we going to hire?_"

"I _DON'T KNOW_," Cain says, arms flailing wildly – "AND I DON'T CARE AS LONG AS IT'S NOT ENJYU!"

"Alright, we'll go over the resumes," Joshua says in his best patronizing tone, "We can sit down together and look over each one an-"

"I said, I DON'T CARE," Cain hisses, adding in some rapid finger-pointing for dramatic effect, "You can go look at your _fucking paperwork_ and find me a _fucking bodyguard_, find me _anyone_ that is not _fucking Enjyu_."

"Oh but-"

"**I'm** **going out**." And with that, Cain strides off down the hallway, boots scraping against the floor.

-

Back in the study, Joshua smirked, satisfied at his work. Mission Complete.

Cain McDonnell never lost an argument (out of sheer pig-headed-ness), until you brought out the magic word. And as Joshua dialled in the numbers written next to **VINCENT **in black marker, he silently thanked the day they had met Enjyu.

-

**[w i n d t o o n ]**

He sat on the front porch, legs dangling over the edge surrounded by a single suitcase.

It felt like, no – it was a good bye.

It was a good-bye to this place; to everything he had ever known – for the most amazing, most miraculous thing that had ever happened to him. And for some reason, that made him want to throw up, and gave him happy butterflies that danced up his spine all at once.

Windtoon wasn't a bad place, he reflected.

Not good, but not bad. It had given him what he'd needed – what they'd needed and even though the majority of the townsfolk gave the two of them a wide berth, there were some people that Gray would never, ever forget.

"Gray?"

Leanne crept up behind him, and then plopped down next to him. "You look like you're thinking _way_ too hard," she says, nudging him with her elbow.

"I just thought – that this might-"

"-that we're gonna see this place?"

Leanne finishes the sentence for him, and she smiles, snuggling herself against Gray.

"I'm scared," she whispers into his ear. "Seems too unreal, doesn't it?"

Gray looks down at Leanne's hand clutching onto his poncho. "I'm scared too," he admits, "but sometimes – you gotta take a risk." His words sound hollow to his ears, but it reassures Leanne.

"I'll believe if you believe," she says, holding out her pinky finger.

The puzzled expression across Gray's face to the raised finger makes Leanne giggle. "Pinky promise, 'member?"

"I'll start," Leanne says.

-

"I promise that things will be okay."

Two pinkies connect, and lock around each other in tight embrace.

"Me too."

-

"Can't break a promise, right Gray?"

"Never ever," he says back and then she reaches forward to hug him. He lets her, and she doesn't let go. "I'mma miss you, know that?"

"I know L," he says and disentangles himself from her. "But only for a year – and then…"

Liena smiles at him, eyes sparkling in the dark, "Yeah, only one year and then everything's going to be ok."

-

**complete with new changes/ rearranging parts of the story. **


	3. 02:

Disclaimer: I don't own Battle B-daman.

**Notes: Um, this is the third chapter redone. And holy mother of f- this is a really long chapter. It took me forever to get through my first version of it. READ it ALL – NEARLY EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED/BEEN EDITED**

_**Diamond in the Rough**_

--

**o2:**

"Cain, wake up."

"Nmmmph." Not wanting to awaken to the world the blonde turns over and buries his hair under a mountain of overstuffed pillows.

"Cain, wake up." This time the voice was louder, sterner and light prodding transformed into harsh pokes.

"Five more mimphnutes." The blonde pushed himself further into the silk comforters.

"Mimphnutes is not a proper word Cain. I believe the term is minutes." Joshua's hand grabs onto his shoulder and with alarming strength, wrenches him to face common torture known as direct sunlight.

Two minutes of rapid blinking and eye seizure-ing, Cain manages to make out Joshua's blurry figure through half squinted eyes. "That hurt you know," he complains, "some way to treat your superiors."

Joshua ignores Cain. There is a reason why Joshua is in charge, and Cain is well – someone who is put under the charge of someone else.

"Really? So when do I get to meet these 'superiors'?"

A pillow comes flying at Joshua's head along with a mumbled '-uck you'; Joshua catches the first and ignores the second.

With the pillow in one arm, Joshua begins the long process of pulling apart the heavy curtains and looping the cord around each bundle. "You really should get up soon – your new bodyguard will be here soon."

Cain's face immediately wrinkles delicately with disgust and lets out a small noise that on a less dignified and aristocratic person would be interpreted as a groan. "Are you serious?" More shuffling around under the bedsheets. "Why do I have to go see him? Can't you do it?"

"You're going to go see him," Joshua says, as he clears away a pile of blankets so he can sit down next to Cain's foetal-positioned form, "because he is _your_ bodyguard. Not _mine_."

Another deliberately dramatic sigh, and Cain rolls over, and pulls down the covers just enough so that two purple eyes blink at Joshua in a very (poor) attempt at being fragile, small and cutesy. "But Jo-shu-a---"

"No."

"Awww---but JO-SHU-A—"

"Stop behaving like a child and _get on with it_."

There is a snort that Joshua translates as 'make me,' and Joshua reacts to it appropriately – by yanking off all covers within reach and throwing it all behind him.

"HEY – I'm not decent!"

The cry comes a few seconds too late as Joshua is exposed to the sight of his best friend, shirtless…and much more unfortunately, pant-less.

"Oh for the love of-", Joshua stops and then tries again.

There are things that are not mentioned in the manual of Best Friendom, and he's never, ever seen a chapter on what to say to your best friend when you discover his pant-less state.

"Look, just – you know," another deep breath, "- I'll go make breakfast, just be _dressed _before I come back." Joshua inhales. "I mean, I know some things are natural – but _really Cain_, just-."

Then Cain clicks and he realises exactly what Joshua thinks he's been doing because well, (naked + bed + under covers) and now he can't think of what to say back. "It's not what it looks like," he begins, cringing at how he sounds exactly like a bad soap character. "Really-"

"No, NO," Joshua interjects hastily, and picks up the nearest blanket with the tips of his fingers hurls it towards Cain's still naked figure before dashing out the door. "You _really_ don't have to explain. I'll just go. Make breakfast."

-

Breakfast was an awkward affair, to say the least.

Typically, the household awoke at different times and rarely shared meals. But today, under Joshua's iron house matron fist, nearly everyone had managed to gather around the overly decorated dinning room to the smell of crisp waffles and the sound of popping toast.

Around him, Li's suicidal soldier bread-crusts threw themselves into runny yolk, Sly stirred his coffee, Wen and Asado were in another heated argument over whether masks were lamer than lion hats, Joshua sat opposite, head buried in a newspaper and there was an empty seat two down from Cain's right.

If Cain hadn't still been suffering from utter humiliation from this morning (which was probably why Joshua still hadn't made eye contact), he would have joined in.

Or at least told Wen and Asado that masks and lion hats were equally in the _loser_ category and the only thing that was even worthwhile wearing were _trenchcoats_.

Except Cain was.

So as he drowned his waffle castle in syrup, Cain thought about how, how _right _this felt. And this _right_ was all going to go wrong.

The last few years had been hard. Hard and confusing and wrong and right. But he had made it; he'd gotten to this point. And now, three years down the track, these loser-friends around this stupid not-oval-not-round table where actually, like his _family_. Not that he'd ever say something as sappy and as stupid as that to them.

Except for maybe Joshua. But Joshua was kind of psychic, so Cain figured Joshua probably knew anyway.

It was a system, they just worked. Sure, half the time they didn't work well together, but it was still something that Cain felt safe in, secure.

Now it was all going to be ruined by this new bodyguard.

There was always going to be the risk, Joshua had told him over and over again. Nothing will be the same forever, Joshua always said whenever Cain had these moments where he just _panicked_ because realised _change_ was happening. But Cain had heard the words, received the awkward man-hug but never actually taken it in.

But then it happened. Then _they_ got Jou.

Subconsciously, Cain stabbed the right wall of his waffle kingdom as his thoughts drifted to Jou.

And now Jou was, was _not okay_. But it had still been ok, because the doctors said that there could be hope. That they'd be therapy and drugs, and it would hurt like a bitch – but with determination (and hell, Jou was practically made on happiness, hugs, big-brother-ness and determination), Jou would be alright again.

But then months had passed, and Jou was still _not okay_. Joshua had wanted to start looking for a replacement, but Cain had shouted and screamed and stamped his feet like the world's most annoying five-year-old so Joshua had given up.

Except it all didn't matter. Another extra month didn't matter because then they found out that it was all over. That Jou was always going to be _not okay_, and they had to find someone new and Joshua didn't get it – Joshua thought it was ok, that Cain would get over it.

Only it wasn't ok. Because Joshua got a _replacement_, Joshua, with his nice words and smile, Joshua who had always had his back and everyone else in this house – nobody, nobody 'cept Cain could see what they were really doing.

By hiring someone else, they taking this _family_, taking what they had – and ripping it apart.

The fork pierced through waffle and slams down on the plate. The clatter causes a multitude of heads to stop and stare. Joshua sets down his paper and fixes Cain with a reproachful look.

Cain brushes it off and pushes his plate to the side. "Not hungry."

-

Gray stared at the hands of the clock in the centre of the town as he stepped off the train. He was running late by at least forty-five minutes.

Damn late trains. Damn too-early trains. Damn annoying ticket conductors. Damn tickets that go missing at critically important times.

In his left hand, a crumpled piece of paper with hastily scrawled instructions blinked at him innocently. Gray's left eye twitched.

_Damn MAPS. _

This day was _not _off to a good start.

He took another look at the map and frowned. If he was supposed to left, why was there only a road leading to the right and where in the world was that big park? Scowling at the thing he attempted to concentrate and focused on the lines and blobs that made up the city.

Right, so he would turn right and then he should be at a park. Eyes still on the map he continued along the street…

**CRASH.**

He blinked groggily, his vision mildly fuzzy from the impact of the crash and then fell back onto the pavement as bright-red hair and inquisitive eyes violated all terms of private space.

His crash-ee was a teenage boy, he looked a few years younger than Gray. He had red hair stuck out in two clumps held back by green aviator goggles and bright blue eyes accompanied by a much-too-cheerful grin.

The boy dusted off imaginary grime from his white jumpsuit, then jumped to his feet like some sort of _cat_. Then he stuck out a gloved hand and in front of Gray.

"Here, lemme help you up," he says – the accent sounds familiar to Gray's ears. Close enough to his own, but with a lighter, less harsh tilt. Gray leaves the hand hanging and gets up _without_ help.

"Gee, sorry bout the crash. I wasn't really watchin' were I was goin' cos I was trying to make sure Tommy wasn't snitchin' fish from the Mr. Crabbypants over there." The boy smiled sheepishly as he gestured to the frowning man near the fish stand who was threatening a small black cat.

"It's alright." Gray says, eager to move on and away from the conversation. He was already running late – there was no need to keep dawdling.

"So, haven't seen you around before. You new?" The redhead questioned.

"New job." A life-time of ignoring others has showed Gray that short answers usually make people go away faster.

"Awesome. We'll prolly be seein' a lot of each other. I mean – I'm like everywhere, you know? Oh, and my name's Yamato. Yamato Delgado. And this is Tommy over there. Nice to meet you…" Yamato trails off, suddenly realising he doesn't know blonde stranger's name.

"Gray Vincent." Inwardly, Gray's brain does a double-take, why the hell was this guy _still _talking to him? Did he not understand the rules of –go-away-I'm-BUSY?

"So, Gray you ditching work or somethin'?" Yamato smiles again, his teeth gleaming in the sunlight.

"No."

"So you're lost," Yamato deducts. Gray openshis mouth to protest, but the redhead has already snatched the map from his hand, fore-head scrunched in deep-map-reading-thought.

"Well, that's up from Lamplight…yeah, hey, look it's our café and…hmmm…" Yamato's hand traces through the streets, occasionally pausing- "WOAH."

Gray blinks. "What?"

"You, you're one of Prince's guys?" There is shock at first, bright blue eyes nearly popping out of their sockets and then Yamato's smile reappears, slightly more stretched out and a heck more fake than before.

"Yeah, you got a problem with that?" Without knowing it, the defensive-words were out of his mouth, and subconsciously his body moved into a pre-battle stance, one hand hovering over his b-damon case.

Yamato gets this signal loud and clear. BACK OFF. "Look man, I'm sorry – didn't mean to offend ya or anything," he says, his words running together. His words sound apologetic, his eyes don't match – for a second, Gray swears the redhead looks…_angry_. "Just didn't know – Prince is a pretty big name round these parts."

"I'm not offended," Gray says – and then wonders why he would be. And what the hell a _prince _had to do with anything. "I just got here, today. First day of work."

"Oh." Yamato relaxes, and the smile stops being so plastic. "Well, you'll find out soon enough anyway," he says lightly. "If you're lost I'll take you up to the Mansion."

"I'm _not lost_," Gray says automatically, and then reconsiders the situation. "But it would be faster, if you could lead the way."

"Yeah – sure thing!" Yamato turns, ready to head off before he spins around, head cocked to the side. "By the way – where'd you come from? Your accent –"

"Windtoon."

"Hey – that makes us neighbours! Cowtoon representing here!" Yamato is almost bounding up and down with excitement at this new revelation.

"I'm here with my mom's café. We kinda travel around the place and I do what I can to help out and sorry, I'm getting carried away, ain't I? I should show you the mansion and maybe we could meet up later? Get to know each other a bit better? And this is my b-damon Cobalt Blade, awesome huh? Good old Cobalt was found on me when I was a kid and I was still raised by cats and then Mie found me and took me in and she's been my foster mom ever since and….wait I gotta show you to the mansion don't I? Just follow me and I got Tommy for my sixth birthday and he's the best cat in the world but he eats way too much and I always get the blame for the missing fish and food and then everyone yells at me or threatens me and one time Mr. Crabbypants threw a dead fish at me and….."

The automatic loner-sense installed in Gray's brain since birth filtered out the mindless chatter of Yamato as they walked down the busy streets. Still, it was _nice_ to have a guide, even if Gray didn't _really need one_ – and the one-sided conversation left a constant, though not wholly-unpleasant soundtrack as he walked.

Gray couldn't help smiling inwardly as the redhead rambled on as they headed towards the Mansion. But that expression, that fake smile and the nervous pitch of Yamato's voice from the mention of his new job – that had definitely left Gray with an impression of _something_.

_Something bad_, gut instinct insisted – prodding through the hazy layers of one-sided conversations and the scent of lunchtime. _Something was definitely wrong back there…_

**No**, this was a new start. A new beginning – this was a miracle; and you didn't doubt miracles. In fact, Yamato was probably just in awe – Joshua had said that the McDonnell name was pretty big in business and stuff right? So obviously that would make some people nervous. Yeah, made perfect sense.

He takes a deep breath, before extracting the niggling thoughts and pushing them to the far corners of his mind. _Remember_, he reminds himself – _you don't doubt a miracle_.

…

Gray was not entirely sure that this, this _place _was even a house.

Even from outside wrought iron gates – the greenery stretched across all edges of his vision and in front of him, a wide drive-way leading up to an architectural wonder in the distance, _nothing felt real_.

He lifts up a hand and gingerly presses it against warm metal, half-expecting it to disappear and for him to wake up back in Windtoon.

But it didn't, and when Gray closed his eyes and reopened – he was still standing in front of a castle-on-a-hill with his hand pressed against the gate. Suddenly metal vibrates underneath his hand, and he jumps back in shock.

Slowly, like the opening sequence of the a movie, the leaves on the gate move, keys to a complex locking mechanism and without the traditional squeal of hinges, the gates unlock themselves.

_Bzzzzttt_.

Gray looks up at sky, then catches sight of a white square imbedded on the gilded nameplate on the gate. An intercom. "_You're late_."

"I know – I'm so sorry, there was a mix-up at the station," Gray says back – and then feels stupid for apologizing to a white square.

The system crackles. "_Never mind. Just leave your bags at the gate – someone will be round to collect them – just follow the main path up to the entrance. A lot of people are very eager to meet you." _

-

"- bags will be taken up to your room, I'll show you where that is after we get through the introductions."

"Introductions?" Gray asks, feeling a little queasy at being surrounded in a room full of strangers who want to ask questions.

"We have a number of staff who live on site – you'll spend a great deal of time with them." "It's not as bad as you may think," he continues and Gray blushes, knowing that Joshua had fully got that grimace at the words '_spend_' and _'time with them_'.

**Beep**. A red light flashes from Joshua's pocket, and he reaches into it. A look of exasperation passes across Joshua's face, before he turns to Gray apologetically. "Sorry, I need to sort out a small _problem_, why don't you go ahead and wait for me?"

"Remember, it's just two corridors down from here – the first door on your left!" Joshua's already starting power-walking off before Gray can object, "I'll be there as soon as I can!"

-

"B-DA FIREEEE-"

**BZZTTTT. BEEP. BEEP. **

**Clatter. **

A series of vibrations echo across individual pockets in the room, instantly training stops. "Aww man," Wen complains as he flicks open his PDA, "I was totally about to own your ass."

"As if," Asado retorts, opening the newest message, "you couldn't kick my ass even if I was blindfolded and missing my right arm."

Sensing another prolonged argument turned b-da battle, Sly walks up behind the duo, effectively acting as a human wall. "Hey, we got priorities everyone."

Behind him, Li nods emphatically, holding up a 3 second sketch of a stickman with red hair and blonde bangs.

"Yeah," Sly says, resisting the urge to bang his head against the nearest wall, "we gotta go get Cain off the roof _again_."

-

One thing that was great about this place, was how big the corridors were. Actually, there were probably lots of great things about this place – only Gray hadn't really been taking note so far.

He did however, find the suit-of-armours mounted against the wall vaguely threatening.

Either way, threatening suits of armours or not, he'd gotten to the training room with ease. He'd walked up to it to find it completely deserted – half of the pins were knocked down, stray b-da balls littered the floor but there was no sign of any visible life forms.

He'd thought about entering, but his foot froze just in front of the door. Somehow, the room felt _used_, like he needed permission.

So he'd stepped back and waited. And then he saw it, an half-opened door at the end of the corridor; with nothing better to do, he went towards it for a better look.

-

"CAIN!"

From his vantage point on top of the roof, Cain rolls over and fakes temporary deaf-ness.

"CAIN MCDONELL – I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME PERFECTLY WELL!"

_Damn right I can_, Cain thinks, rubbing his sore ears from the onslaught of Joshua and his megaphone of doom.

"EITHER YOU COME DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW OR I'LL-"

"-or you'll what J? Come _up here and get me?_" He leans forward, just enough to avoid falling off the roof to certain death, but still able to get a good glimpse of Joshua on the 3rd floor balcony. Cain snickers at the reaction – out of the three things that terrify Joshua the most, (spiders, dust and heights), heights is the enemy that Joshua will never overcome.

"NO – BUT THEY WILL FOR ME."

Unfortunately, in his great plans of avoiding Joshua, Cain has forgotten that the _other _members of the household are not _petrified of heights_.

The other five, who are currently scaling the roof and grinning at him with eerily psychotic expressions.

-

It was a simple room. There was nothing particular about that would've caught his attention, in fact – he nearly overlooked it at first.

But he _hadn't_, because at that moment a ray of light had shone through and hit the most, the most surreal, amazingly crafted b-damon that Gray had ever seen.

A dark purple coats metal with sleek red and yellow markings. The design was larger than his own, it radiated power and it's core system looked more specialized, more defined.

If Gray's own Chrome Zephyr was beautiful, then this b-damon, this treasure was _a god_.

Without even realising it, the blonde was pulled towards it, his hands itching to pick it up and examine it – to hold it and then, against all better judgement, he picked it up.

It was ice cold, and weighed heavily on his hand. He ghosted his hands over the controls first, before taking a deep breath and placing his hands on them. It felt odd – different from his own lightweight model, but it's weight and size made Gray feel _more powerful-_

"**Don't you fucking touch my b-damon!**"

The door slams behind him, and Gray barely has time to place the b-damon on the shelf before he's slammed onto the desk.

Gloved hands wrench Gray's own behind his back, and pressing weight of a more toned body hinders any hope of movement. "Who the_**hell **_are you?"

The hold loosens for a split second – long enough for Gray to raise his head from the table only to be slammed back down twice as hard. "**_They_ send you after me?** Is that it?" Hot breath glides down Gray's neck from the uncomfortably close contact. "They tell you to keep quiet as well?"

"_No_," Gray manages to hiss back, his face pressed against the desk. "I have _no idea _what you're on about."

"**Like hell you don't**!"

In one fluid move, Gray finds himself flipped over to face his assailant, wrists released, then trapped again under leather gloves. Narrow blue eyes glare lasers into his skull, and somewhere in the back of his mind, Gray wonders why so many people in Neon seem to be scarily blue-eyed.

"You gonna look me straight and tell me you have _**no idea?**_"

"I told you, I don't _know _what you're on about 'k?" Gray says, half-breaking into a yell to match Blue-eye's volume, "What I do know is that you need to go take _some pills or _get count to _thirt-_"

Blue-eyes lunges forward, and the momentary release is all it takes for Gray to duck, his right leg hooking itself around leather boots. Gray jerks his foot, and Blue-eyes is suddenly set off balance, only to fall _forward _instead of backwards.

Two foreheads collide and the duo fall back on the desk with a loud clatter, knocking several spare parts to the ground.

Suddenly, instead of just invading his personal space, Blue-eyes is right on top of him, widened blue-eyes boring into his own and _holyb-damage_, _his lips on Gray's cheekbone_ and Gray does what any self-respecting vessel of testosterone would do.

He knees Blue-eyes in the crotch.

-

Outside, 12 pairs of wide eyes capture the moment in perfect freeze-frame.

"Did he just kick _Enyjyu in _-"

"HOLY B-da mage-"

"Kids these days –"

Awed Silence.

Insane, maniac cackling.

"Oh, my, b-damage, hahaha, fuck – Joshua I think I'm in love."

-

**So yeah, I know the yaoi ball is rolling a little slower this time….but when I re-read this chapter it was just so long and confusing and so many things happened yanno? . not to mention I can't remember why the f- Enjyu 'marks' gray – apart from that it made a great make-out scene. -_-'**


	4. Chapter 4: Games

Disclaimers: I don't own Battle B-daman….obviously

Alright, I'm back….here's the next chapter!! And a Cain Vs. Gray b-da battle! With some bets placed on…well ya all have to read to find out!

Last time:

"_Are you alright Gray? Your lip is bleeding." _

"_I'm fine. Bit my lip." Gray had always had a pure honesty policy. And he was telling the truth; of course Joshua would assume that he had bit his own lip of course. _

"_Oh, so you're the bum-bodyguard," the arrogant baritone came from Cain who had just been elbowed by Joshua who was just glaring at him and mouthing, 'Manners.'_

_Gray had the feeling that his little one-year visit was going to be very, very, interesting. And probably not in a good way. _

**Games:**

The most amazing amethyst eyes coolly looked him over, and for a second Gray felt all of his resolve slipping away. In fact, it was like the eyes could see right through him, right to the core of his soul but then his defenses kicked in and he returned the glance.

But not before adding the signature Gray smirk to the seemingly aloof look. Gray felt a small burst of satisfaction as the violet eyes blinked startled that he had the nerve to look back. Obviously the blonde in front of him that Yamato had dubbed 'Prince' was used to having people bending backwards for him. Not that was going to be happening as long as he was around though, Gray thought.

"Gray. Gray Michael Vincent." He offered his hand politely.

"Nice to meet you, Gray," the tone was syrupy and seemingly charming, Gray though, being an expert at being able to see under the masks and pretenses of others sensed obvious dislike. "My name is Cain," again the fake smile. "Of course under public surveillance it would be more suitable to address me as Sir."

Another simple trick; the use of Sir obviously made 'Sir' feel more in control and him as the dominant one in the partnership. Then the handshake; which had turned into a hidden competition between the two. He could feel the leather gloved handgrip tightly onto his own and the grip was fairly tight, as he knew the other was trying to overpower him. Gray pushed some of his strength into his hand, making sure he had enough to stand equally against Cain but not enough to overpower him. After all, he did have to work here for a year and getting on your boss's hit list wasn't exactly what he was aiming for.

"Well, then shall we have a friendly match?" The invitation was mockingly delivered, despite all the polite wording. It was clear that Cain didn't think he was much of a challenge.

"Hn. Direct Hit Battle." It was his standard grunt, which symbolized the end of a conversation and he whipped out his b-damon in response.

----------------------------------

"B-da Fire!" Cain fires aimlessly and Gray grits his teeth in annoyance. What was the point of playing if Cain thought he was some sort of amateur? All right, professional he was not but still, it wasn't as if he hadn't faced a single person in his life.

He easily returns the shot just slightly harder and watches Cain's eyes widen. While the shot was nowhere near powerful it nearly hits the b-damon as Cain's guard is completely off.

Obviously Cain has underestimated him by too much. Amethyst eyes narrow further and Gray knows that from now on the guard isn't going to be left quite so open. His opponent may not take him like a serious opponent but he was going to think of him as an amateur either.

And Cain returns the shot, a little harder this time and also slightly faster. He mimics the shot.

They go on; exchanging shots, strike for strike neither using full potential. In both of their opinions, it could go on forever.

Gray grits his teeth as what seems like the hundredth shot is repelled. He knows that in stats Cain has more power and endurance not to mention experience. His only edge over Cain was the fact that his was a speed-based b-damon and that Cain was still underestimating him.

Of course that itself was bugging the hell out of him since Cain seemed to almost fire off at him randomly, not even bothering to try so that the shots missed him only inches but would never hit him.

Still dodging and returning shot after shot had eventually worn him down and he knew he would have to end it soon.

There had to be some way where he could use speed as an incentive….he would not be able to beat his opponent using power but he had a rapid fire blaster which meant it would be easier for him to send out multiple b-da balls.

Maybe….maybe…alright a test run first.

"B-da Fire!!" He launches his main attack in a mediocre power range and watches as Cain sends one single launch to repel it and the whole pack scatters.

Gray hides the smile. If he can concentrate hard enough and get the angles right, this battle would be finished.

He focuses and hopes that Cain thinks he's making a final attempt. "B-DA FIRE!!!!"

He yells, hoping it sounds convincingly enough like a person using their last shot.

Cain believes it alright, Gray can see the victory smirk dancing on his lips. Again the single shot comes right into the center and repels the attack and then….

"B-da Fire." Gray pulls his hat over his eyes and attacks with another single shot of his own. It hits the ball, but instead of stopping it hits then flies across the table and then…click.

Gray looks up to see Cain's astonished face as the b-da ball hits his b-daman and the shield folds down with a 'beep.'

His inner mind does a little victory dance but his outer self is far more dignified. Maybe that was pure luck, maybe that was a one time fluke but still.

However he was not going to stick around any longer. He had done what was polite, now was time to leave. He exits but not before throwing one last look at the still stunned 'prince.'

"We should play again sometime."

Two could play at this game.

----------------------------------

As soon as the duo had left along with Joshua who had also marched off with the 'Am going to give you a lecture' look the former silent audience suddenly came alive.

"Ha, knew it. Told ya blondie was some sorta prodigy." Wen crowed triumphantly. "Now pay up, cub." He stretched his hand out to the annoyed Asado.

"My name's not Cub. It's Asado." The lion turned around miffed, a cute pout adorning his face. "Anyway, the bet's off. I mean; Prince probably didn't wanna embarrass blondie that much."

"Hey, ya can't back out!" Wen protested. "Yes, brother won that one!" Li added, catching the attention of the others.

"I'm with Asado. I've seen Prince to his full potential and that was him on a off day." Sly's voice joined in.

"Hey, that's just gangin' up on me! I mean just cos you're his cheerleaders!" Wen was already getting mad. "Yes, that's not fair on brother!" Li put in his ten cents too.

"Oh c'mon Wen. It's not like you don't back Enjyu against Cain either."

"Are you tryin' to say that I like that bastard?!" More dangerous arm flailing and the beginnings of a fighter's stance appear.

"Calm down Wen. All Asado's trying to say is that you would pick Enjyu over Cain any day." The voice of reason a.k.a Sly intervenes, calmly blocking both from each other.

"I do not!"

"You do so!"

"Do not!"

"Do so!"

"Children, children calm down."

"Yes Sly's right brother."

Both retreat reluctantly under the gazes of the two more mature members.

"Fine." Wen mutters.

"Yeah, me too. But he started it."

"Hey, you two quit bickering like a bunch of idiots." Sly says, folding his arms and giving his best matron look.

"We're not bickering." "Yeah, we're arguing. Anyway you can leave the mother hen role to Joshua."

"Come on, let's just go have lunch alright brother?" Li asks turning to leave.

"Yeah lunch, I'm starving too!" Asado chimes in enthusiastically.

"Hey, I want some food as well!" Wen yells and races out of the door. "Bet I can beat you to the kitchen, Cub!"

"In your dreams…and stop calling me CUB!!"

Smiling at the antics of his friends, Sly carefully shuts the door behind him and he begins to follow the others to the kitchen.

-----------------------------------------------------

The sound of whizzing b-da balls fill the private training room as each shot met it's mark perfectly and easily knocked over the small statues situated on various points of the room.

Hearing the door open from the slight creak, the redhead tenses up before recognizing the butler's voice.

"What do you want." It didn't come out like a question, more like a statement a young troublesome child makes after being told off for the hundredth time.

"For you to stop harassing blondie!" Joshua sent one of his matron-like glares towards the redhead.

"Who said I was harassing bumpkin?" More shots were fired in between his sentences. "Last I heard, wasn't it his Royal Pain in the Ass that was throwing a fit about bumpkin?"

"Firstly Enjyu, it would help the relationship between Cain and yourself if you bothered to address him properly."

The statues had popped up again and a fresh round began for Enjyu. "Like what? In case you haven't noticed, 'bitch' isn't exactly making me love him either."

"Yes, yes, I know. But taking the first step could be the key to-"

"Forget it, kay. Now back to bumpkin."

"Right, and I am sure 'bumpkin' would appreciate it if you called him by his first name or at least his last one."

"Hmph. You're here to give me another freakin lecture right?"

"Of course. I know you're not exactly the most social of people but the so could you just leave him alone or something?"

"Clucking like a mother hen again? Remind me, what did I do?" The words rolled off Enjyu's tongue like a ritual chant and he paused for a second to regain his breath.

"You know what I mean! What in the heavens possessed you to do that?"

"Nothing. I felt like it." Blasting has hereby resumed.

"Well Enjyu, you can not do things whenever you just feel like it!"

"I just did."

"You know what you did! And I'm demanding you apologize to him!"

"What, the little welcome present?"

"You call that a present? Enjyu, 'present' means to give as a present or make a gift of something! Molesting someone does not count as a present! People, Enjyu have emotions and feelings. You just cannot go off and do whatever you feel like with no regard for the other's well being! Enjyu, Enjyu! Are you listening to me?"

"Hmph. No need to shout, heard you. Just not listening."

He felt a hand grip his wrist and he found himself being wrenched from his focus to face Joshua directly. "Look here you bastard. This kid is not here because he wants to be. And you are GOING to LEAVE him ALONE. Understand? I've been damn tolerant of you; I've tried to turn a blind eye to your little games. You are going to leave blondie alone."

Enjyu almost blinked but that of course would've shattered his calm demeanor. Joshua, the polite ever-sincere butler he had known for at least five years had just gotten angry, over all things a new bodyguard. So maybe he underestimated the blondie, maybe, just maybe bumpkin wouldn't go crying home, after all if he had Joshua defending him that fiercely he must have been worth something.

Or maybe, he thought as he watched Joshua stalk off, the leather shoes clacking down the hallway, it was a personal issue. Maybe the ever-polite butler was finally breaking down his mask, and if it was happening, he would be there to witness it all. For sure.

--------------------------------------------------

As the blonde entered the room, it froze once again.

Gray wondered what was clearly so fascinating about him but decided to figure that out later. Grabbing a clean cup off the table, he filled it with water then made a rapid exit. He needed to know why they were all staring in utter amazement. It couldn't be because he had beaten Cain, everyone in that room who had any knowledge whatsoever would be able to tell what a lucky shot that was and how Cain had let his guard down completely.

No, it was probably something do with what he looked like. Or how he smelt…. great. He hoped to hell it wasn't the second option.

Now for the bathroom…he had remembered it was just down the hallway. Well, he vaguely remembered that there where several more but this one's location had been the only one he remembered.

------------------------------------

Asado watched the newcomer walk off, he turned around to Wen.

"So, how much do you wanna bet?"

"On what?"

"His virginity...duh. I'm backing Cain."

"Enjyu definitely."

"Cain."

"Enjyu."

"Cain!"

"Enjyu!"

"CAIN!!!"

"ENJYU!!"

"Quit squabbling over it. That's why you two are betting right?" Sly sighed, there really had to be a new referee sometime.

"Yes, you two. Anyway Joshua will murder you if you shout that loudly."

"Right...I forgot...the mother hen and his rules..." Both slumped down defeated.

"Enjyu..." Wen whispered.

"Cain..." Asado shot back.

"Be quiet and just eat that biscuit." Sly promptly shoves two in each mouth causing both to choke on it.

There is a silence as everyone munches away then Li breaks the silence.

"How do you plan on finding out anyway?"

-----------------------------------

Entering the room he immediately locked the door and proceeded to look through the mirror.

He didn't seem to look any different than usual. His wind tousled blond hair, his aqua eyes and….OH. He had just figured out what they had all been staring at.

It looked like not only had the redheaded maniac who had molested him earlier in the morning bit his lip; he had also left a different sort of mark. A small red jagged line that started from underneath his chin to the base of his neck was also there. The knife! So that was what it had made when it had been up near his neck.

He wondered what was so startling about it. It was just a small zigzagging line down his neck for heavens sake! Maybe it was supposed to mean something?

Pulling up his collar so he could hide the mark properly he went off down the myriad of halls to find Joshua. After all from what he had seen while Cain was the official leader it seemed Joshua held all the strings from behind.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Gray had just managed to get hopelessly lost again when Joshua appeared right behind, causing him to yelp like a schoolgirl. Gray began to wonder if Joshua was by chance some sort of fairy godmother. And then tried hard not to snicker as he pictured Joshua in a fairy outfit complete with simpering voice and sparkly pink wand.

"Are you alright? You seem a bit lost."

"I'm fine." Gray answered curtly trying to grasp hold of his normal self. He suddenly pulled down the collar so that Joshua could see the mark.

The reaction, one of utter fury masked by mere annoyance. "From your reaction this obviously means something." Gray stated, pushing for more information.

"Not really, it isn't very important. Say, I was wondering, you took an awful long time to get to the training room…you did find your way there alright didn't you?"

From the perceptive glance Gray immediately knew Joshua thought that he hadn't just got lost. And the look also had the bit where he knew the butler was pretty damn sure what had happened. This were Gray always replied with blunt honesty.

"Yeah, I just got molested by a hooker."

Instead of the rebuke he was supposed to get he found Joshua letting out a small chuckle.

"So, the mark?" He asked as the butler recomposed himself.

"Like I said before, it's not very important."

Gray inwardly sighed, this politeness thing was making it very hard for him to get any information what so ever.

"Symbol?" Gray hoped he would get something like an answer.

"I…I think it's supposed to be a lightning bolt," pausing, Joshua turned around.

"Your room's three corridors to the left from here, second room to your immediate right. First one is your personal bathroom. Third one is an elevator that leads directly from your room to the main foyer."

Gray stared as he watched the other retreat slowly down the stairs. How one single person could remember that all was beyond his comprehension but he was still grateful for the advice. He really didn't plan on getting molested by another hooker on his first day. Joshua really was some sort of fairy.

----------------------------------------------------------

"I'm right behind you, so you better not try anything." Joshua glared at the rather reluctant redhead.

"You know there's no point in doing this right? I mean I'm gonna get to blondie anyway." Enjyu almost whined in vexation and if it weren't for the stern expression Joshua had on, he would've almost snickered.

Sure Enjyu put up the big cover, attitude and all but in reality it was sort of like dealing with a rebellious little kid, much like Cain was a spoilt brat. In fact, there were more similarities than differences between the duo anyway, which was probably why they fought all the time, he guessed.

"Well even if there isn't, it's polite and will make me feel better." Joshua answered then gently pushed him forward. "Time to make the apology."

Enjyu sighed impatiently. He really didn't know why he bothered doing this sort of thing for Joshua, he really protested and all but for some reason whenever Joshua said anything at all everyone seemed to jump out like marionettes and automatically do his bidding. He had often wondered how Joshua seemed to do it, and having found no answer just assumed he had some sort of mind-controlling power.

Turning around the corridor he walked over to the door he opened it.

And Joshua stared in amazement as Gray opened, bought an expensive looking vase down on Enjyu's head and knocked the redhead out.

"Gray?"

The blonde looked up with a self-satisfied smirk. "Accidents happen."

-------------------------------------------

Begin placing your bets people...cos the outcome of this can be changed...of course lots of molesting and fluff from both sides but still...the final outcome. So plz review!!

Next time...Joshua thinks Chrome Zephyr needs an upgrade...and guess which mechanic he has in mind...


	5. Chapter 5: Adjustments

Disclaimer: I don't own anything….

Alright, I'm assuming everyone hear has at least watched up to episode 5 of Battle B-damon, Season 2: Fire Sprits right? If not, Gannos will be a spoiler. However this is an AU so everything he does will not relate to the series. The only thing that will be kept the same is his personality.

So here's the next chapter, we meet Gannos, get some subtle JoshuaXGray, we have our first glimpse of Mistress X AND this is a LONG chapter.

I was supposed to post this up days ago but then I got the bug and started throwing up like 5 times a day so I really couldn't edit and stuff…so hopefully, the longness of this chappie makes up for it!

**Adjustments**

Rubbing his already aching head with one hand Joshua heads down the stairs with the red-haired teen thrown over his shoulder. He hopes to hell that no idiot is going to come up to disturb his very minimal peace.

"Hey Joshua! What happened up there?" Too late, Idiot 1 has officially arrived wearing ridiculous mask and cape.

"Yeah, I reckon you must've decked Enjyu or sumthin cos he was molesting the bumpkin right?" Idiot 2 grins eagerly from underneath an equally ridiculous lion costume.

"Leave me alone please, I have a headache." Remembering Asado's earlier comment he added, "And the bumpkin's name is Gray."

"Yeah, yeah, we know that. So didya deck him? Why? Cos he was hitting on bumpkin again? I mean ya might as well give up cos if the hooker doesn't corrupt him the prince is gonna." Idiot 2 babbles on.

"You did not listen to a word I just said, did you?" Joshua sighs impatiently and continues walking.

"Yeah we did. Well I did." Idiot 1 points out to Idiot 2. "Ya said not to call him bumpkin, but I mean it's no big deal anyway. I mean we all call him cub right?" Idiot 2 bristles at the nickname.

"Well how bout calling you the obnoxious jerk!" Idiot 2 exclaims.

"Ooh, big words for a lil cub." Idiot 1 taunts. Idiot 2 waves his arms around in response.

"Please just get out of the way, will you?" Joshua's already thin patience is breaking, very fast.

Both Idiots remember their original purpose and stand right in front of him. "Wait! Tell!!! Please!!"

Normally Joshua would ignore them, he usually had enough patience and will power to do so. Today was not a normal day, so he answered. It was for the better anyway, he really didn't need a bunch of Idiots whispering around behind his back so loud that people a mile away could hear.

"Why don't you go ask Gray why he was defending himself with a vase?"

Both stare in confusion for a minute. "Gray?" Both ask simultaneously. "Oh…..the bumpkin!" Realization hits them and their eyes widen. "NO WAY IN HELL!!!" Both rush upstairs and Joshua is free from their idiocy.

Seeing the clock up on the wall, he realizes the time and races down, Enjyu's body thumping as he ran. He'd have to hurry if he wanted to get Enjyu back in his room and then still have enough time to deal with his more urgent appointments later on. Adjustments would have to be made.

------------------------------------------------

Knock, knock.

Gray glares at the sound and continues to bury his head in the photo album that he had just found at the bottom of his suitcase.

Knock, KNOCK.

The idiot or possibly idiots behind the door don't seem to grasp the concept of peace, Gray thinks to himself. Hopefully it isn't the same idiot from before who he had previously knocked out.

He slams open the door to look into the faces of eagerly awaiting gossipers.

"Do you have anything important to say?" He demands, twitching in annoyance. The duo slowly shrinks away and shake their heads.

He's about to close the door when the brunette sticks his foot in, barring the door from closing. "Wait, didya do something to Enjyu?" The brunette questions hopefully.

"Yes. Now get out of the way."

Both stare at each other in disbelief then latch onto his doorframe. "Wait! Whaddya do? Didya kill him or something? Cos he looked real dead when Joshua carried him down stairs…"

Gray glares at their stupidity. "No, I knocked him out with a vase."

"AWESOME!!!!" Both listen, attention fully focused as if watching a soap opera on TV and wishing to know the newest development.

"So what did he do? Try hittin on ya?"

"No. Tried that earlier. Came to apologize."

"………………………………………….." There is a prolonged silence before. "You knocked him out when he was gonna apologize???????"

"Yes. Now move it."

"HE WAS GONNA APOLOGIZE?!!!!"

"Yes." This is accented by slamming his fist on the door. Both realize it's time to make an exit but they can't help leave one more comment behind.

"Next time ya should let him do it. I mean it's one of those once in a lifetime things!! I mean when da hell does ENJYU ever apologize?"

Taking in the information Gray proceeds to slam the door shut, not wanting to know anything else and nearly takes off Asado's hand. Luckily Wen has the sense to drag Asado back and the duo race downstairs in case the blonde was going to come after them with a gun or something.

As soon as they have reached safety, which happens to be at Joshua's room's door they sit down to catch their breath. "Alright, I wanna change my bet on how long he lasts." Wen pants out.

"That's not fair!" Asado pouts. "Plus I wanna change mineeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

"That makes it all good right? I mean you change, I change." Wen rationalizes.

"NO! Of course not! If it's fair, it means I don't have da advantage!"

"Duh, cub. That's why it's FAIR."

"But playing fair is badddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd!!!" Asado whines.

"Please keep it down!" Joshua almost yells from inside. Both sweatdrop at the sudden interruption. "Anyway go get changed. In half an hour you better be ready to take Gray to our dysfunctional mechanic."

"We get to go…. out?" Another contemplative pause, then "YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Beware Asado's back, so watch out Gannos, prepare to face the Asado power!" Asado strikes a pose in front of an imaginary opponent.

"It's about time I got a upgrade!"

"This is about Gray remember." Joshua reminds them from inside the room.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's go!"

------------------------------------------------------

Opening his icy sapphire eyes slowly, he blinked slightly puzzled at his surroundings. How the hell had he gotten into his room?

He remembered getting lectured, then being forced to apologize to the bumpkin, walking up the stairs really slowly just to bug Joshua then opening the door and……….and…….. Nothing. Nothing whatsoever.

Still he had to have gotten back down here some how so…. someone must've brought him here. Standing up slowly because the world was still somewhat fuzzy he surveyed the room, searching for those little white notes that Joshua left everywhere. Grocery shopping lists, latest incomes, messages, those little white notes held a lot of importance in the household.

He hated to admit it, but he did rely an awful lot on Joshua, and maybe that's why he had actually stayed this long. He could've left years ago, he after he broke bonds with the Shadow he had ran like hell to get away, only to be sucked in again on the opposition a.k.a Joshua and his polite wording.

But that was how it was with him. He would run away, only to be recaptured, run away again and then get recaptured. Right now he supposed he was in the recaptured stage, yet to run away. He could've, he supposed. There was really nothing he couldn't do, he was Enjyu after all.

But why he stayed after he had fulfilled the contract more than three years ago…it didn't make any sense at all. Or maybe there was some sort of twisted logic to it and he just didn't want to admit it. Yeah, it had to be the twisted logic.

Or maybe it was just because he finally belonged. It was a weird feeling, like almost being attached to this place, to getting lectured by Joshua, to squabble with Sir Royal Pain in the Ass and to laugh manically as he went after idiots with a butcher's knife.

That and the fact that he could freeload off this household's many training facilities, indoor and outdoor pools and many other extras. Probably more to do with the second reason than the first, because he had belonged before as well...in the past.

Ignoring his inner ramblings he picked up the neatly folded piece of paper and opened it.

_Battle Arena. _

_Joshua._

_PS. Gray just knocked you out with a vase. Try not to kill/decapitate/castrate him. _

_PSS. Note how others do not have to use nicknames to refer to people. _

Great, back to the hellhole we go, he thought sarcastically and wondered what had gone wrong or happened this time.

--------------------------------------------

"No." Gray glared stubbornly back at Wen.

"You're coming, you have to." Wen refuses to budge an inch.

"I said no. Leave me alone."

"Well I say yes, so whaddya say to that?"

"No."

"GOD, you're so damn irritating and stubborn!!!!" Wen clutches his head.

"Pot, meet the kettle." Asado mutters, much to Wen's indignation.

"I am NOT IRRITATING or STUBBORN!!"

"You are so!"

"Am not!"

"Are so!"

"Am not!"

"I'm staying right here." Gray closes the door and the duo remember their actual purpose and immediately start yelling at the door.

"You need to go!" "Yeah, for once Cub's right!" "Hey whaddya mean by for once huh?" "Exactly what I said!" "Bastard!" "Little kids shouldn't have such foul mouths!" "Hey who are you calling little!" "You midget!" "Why you!!!!"

"Oi, you two, aren't you supposed to be taking blondie out? Li down there is getting all twitchy because you two were inconsiderate imbeciles and interrupted his meditation. Now he chucking those paper curses around and the sofa is making it's way up here real fast!" Sly's voice shouts out from below and then the sidetracked two remember what they were trying to do before they started arguing.

"Oh…" "Just come will ya? I mean you've got nothing to lose!"

"Yeah, you need to get a new b-damon or even repairs at the least! That piece of junk isn't going to hold up for much longer ya know!"

At that the door slams open and the two are temporarily knocked down the floor from the sudden movement.

"What did you just call my b-damon?" Aqua eyes flash dangerously and for a minute Wen and Asado wonder if somehow Enjyu infected the newbie through unwanted physical contact.

"…uh……well………………….."

"Are you deaf? What did you just call it?" Eyes narrow down some more and Gray takes a step forward. Both imagine how they will split their will. Both suddenly remember how touchy B-da players like themselves are about their b-damon.

"Um…well, jeez don't take it so seriously! It's just that your one is kinda outdated and if it looks like if someone hits it too hard it's gonna shatter into tiny pieces!" "Yeah, it does sort of look like that." This comes out before they realize the possible consequences of the above statements.

"If I hit you too hard, will you shatter into tiny pieces?" Both look nervously at each other.

"You're supposed to have gone by now." Joshua, thank the great B-da mage, they would end up getting their next paycheck after all.

Again Wen and Asado counted their blessings that Joshua always showed up whenever you most needed it, however he also showed up at the most inconvenient times as well.

Gray calms down slightly at the sight and then folds his arms across his chest. "What is wrong with Chrome Zephyr?" He says pointedly. "Apparently, it is outdated and if someone fires too hard it will shatter into tiny pieces."

"How did you two propose this trip to him?" Joshua glares at the two who are now wishing someone else - preferably Sly or Li had come to their rescue.

"Nothing!" "Yeah, we just told him-"

" Yeah, you need to get a new b-damon or even repairs at the least. That piece of junk isn't going to hold up for much longer ya know and it's just that your one is kinda outdated and if it looks like if someone hits it too hard it's gonna shatter into tiny pieces." Gray recites perfectly from memory.

"Have any of you heard of tact? Maybe while I handle this you two could go look it up in the dictionary. Study - third bookcase from the right, second shelf down, five books across." Joshua says sighing.

Then he focuses his attention back on Gray. "Let me put it this way, what they were trying to say is that your b-damon needs a upgrade, we won't change anything major and nothing will be done without your consent."

"Then you understand when I say no."

"Geez, be all nice and polite to Joshua why don't you." Wen grumbles under his breath. This comment is heard however and Joshua shoots him a glare. "Why don't you go get your b-damon and wait outside? Gray will be down in a minute."

Both scatter down the stairs and then Joshua turns to face Gray.

"What makes you think I'm coming?"

"I just do." Joshua brushes off the comment lightly. "Either way, you still have to go. While your b-damon matches well with your battle style it has a long way to go before it can enhance your full potential. We won't need to change everything, just boost the speed and accuracy and insert a target tracker along with it."

"That sounds like changing it." Gray stands his ground; nothing is going to be changed.

"It isn't actually as big as it sounds. Besides Bull makes certain other tools that are necessary if you're to actually protect Cain or do anything else for that matter."

"You sound like you know what you're doing. Why aren't you going instead? I'm no mechanic, I'm a player."

"I have other things to attend to. Besides, a b-damon needs to adjusted to suit the player's needs, no one else should ever substitute for the player unless you want the b-damon to malfunction later on."

"Hm."

"So are you going?" Joshua asks one last time.

"Maybe. You honestly think I should? If I were you I'd be tired of me already, it seems all I do here is disrupt the order of things." Gray smirks, it was true however you looked at it.

"Well," Joshua pauses contemplatively, "It's rather hard to tire of a good thing, especially when it's interesting as well." The butler turns and leaves.

"I think Wen and the others are downstairs waiting for you."

-----------------------------------------------------

"So what made ya decide to come?" Wen lifted an eyebrow prying for information as they casually strolled down the streets towards the less flashy districts of Neon City.

"Interesting." Gray didn't really bother answering the questions; it wasn't any of Wen's business anyway. Gray himself was more interested in the surroundings and again had begun people watching.

Asado however raced on ahead, occasionally knocking down stalls or people and apologizing frantically, got told off or threatened then continued on his hurried, and rather clumsy way.

"So where does Bull live?" Gray asked while observing an yellow overweight cat complaining about the lack of flavour in his lunch.

This was a very bad move as a brunette woman with a yellow bandanna wrapped around her head who appeared to be the chef was already displaying signs of fatigue and complaining would probably result in a angry woman. This was never good.

"Just round this corner. Hey, how did ya know his name anyway?" Now the woman has turned red at the complaint. She is shouting and waving a wooden spoon around and some other customers look frightened.

"Joshua mentioned it." The cat has now realised his mistake and is hastily apologizing, only to find that he doesn't have enough money to pay the bill. Gray suspects that the woman is going to be very angry when she finds out.

"Hey you two slowpokes hurry up!" Asado yells eagerly and dashes into the store, leaving the others to follow.

And they enter the store.

------------------------------------------------

"GRAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" He is immediately bowled over by a ball of energy known as Ya…Ya…Yamato, he remembers from earlier.

"WOAH…. CONCINDENCE OR WHAT!!! I MEAN MEETING YOU TWICE IN ONE DAY!! IT'S ALMOST LIKE YOU FOLLOWED ME OR SOMETHING!" The little black cat next to him shudders at the volume Yamato is projecting his voice.

Suddenly Yamato stops and the nearly suffocates Gray with his hug.

"What…was…. that…for?" Gray manages to pant out.

"Duh, you came all the way here just to see ME!!"

Wen taps the shorter redhead on the shoulder, "Actually, he came to see Bull."

Yamato mock glares at Wen and then pouts. "I feel so unloved…hey you want a hug too? Do ya? Do ya?"

Without waiting for a response Yamato immediately releases Gray and rushes over to Wen, giving out yet another rib crushing hug. "There feel the love. By the way, cos I haven't said it yet, hi Wen!!!"

"Well, I can feel my bloody ribs breaking Yamato!" Wen snaps out, pushing the other off before any further harm can be done to his body.

Obviously Yamato is a frequent visitor to this store, and equally obvious due to the fact that he didn't have a heart attack - Yamato does not know where Wen currently lives.

Then hug number 3. Asado and Yamato rush at each other at alarming speed and then literally slam into each other then they proceed to hug the life out of each other, again literally.

"Missed you so much!"

"Yeah, seems like centuries!"

"I know, heaps and heaps of centuries!"

"Heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps of centuries!"

Then, "Geez, you know Yamato, Asado start acting your age for once, willya?"

The hugging suddenly stops, and the two break apart to glare at the newcomer.

"Gannos." The word is spoken in unison by the hyper duo, in the same distasteful style.

"You know, Yamato, Asado your social skills need a hell lot of work you know."

"You know, that you're just as annoying as before." Yamato retorts.

"Yeah, and bratty." Asado adds on.

"Annoying."

"Idiotic."

"Cocky."

"Arrogant."

"Air-headed."

"Wow, one word sure doesn't amount to much, you guys really need some help on your social skills." Gannos smirks, waving his hand at an invisible fly. Gray suddenly feels paranoid and can't help look around suspiciously for flies.

"Of course, someone as awesome as me doesn't need any help at all, nope. None at all, cos I'm so marvelous and great and super-co-"

"You know, I have no idea who the heck you're describing cos it sure as hell ain't you know." Asado drawls out lazily, plopping himself down comfortably on top of a simple wood coffee table that is clearly meant for COFFEE CUPS and BISCUITS. The table trembles at the teenager's weight.

"Yeah, in fact, it kinda sounds a lot more like me!" Yamato announces, with his newfound 'intelligence.'

"You?! Now you know that's not even possible Ya-ma-to, I mean, I'm obviously far better than the two of you put together!"

"Better?"

"The two of us?"

"Together?"

"Prepare…."

"To….."

"B-DA BATTLE!!!"

Immediately the trio rush off in a flurry of arms and legs outside where several bangs and varied tones of conversation ensued. Gray stared blankly at the spot where the trio had previously been and wondered if they were little robots that you winded up with a key at the back and so that they would run around endlessly.

"They're always like that."

"Huh?"

"I said, them. Ya-sa-nos. Yamato, Asado and Gannos. Cat boy, Cub and the one with the stupid hat."

"Oh. Right."

"Anyway Bull's probably further in. C'mon blondie."

"Blondie? I have a name you know, a simple four lettered name."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Trust me it's fairly un-insulting compared to some others ones."

"What other ones?" Gray asked disinterestedly, still following Wen.

"Like I said before, you don't want to know what others thought up."

"It's a simple name, I think I can handle it."

"Trust me, we're very creative people. Plus we have to bother Bull about your b-damon now."

-----------------------------------------------

Entering the dimly lit study, Gray's eyes rapidly blinked as they slowly became accustomed to the sudden darkness. The whole study was lit by one single candle and he wondered if it was a personal taste or the fact that they could not afford proper lighting.

Not seeing any shadows apart from the ones belonging to himself and Wen he leant back against what he assumed was a wall before it collapsed, and he fell back down onto a pile of rather sharp pointy objects.

Immediately the a light – as in one not made by a candle flickers on and Gray finds a navy haired teen with a shaggy fringe covering one eye, wearing a cape of sorts glaring at him.

"You're squashing some very important b-damon parts." The teen says disapprovingly and surprisingly Wen comes to his defense.

"You should get proper lighting then. It's not like you don't earn enough Bull," Wen retorts and helps pull the rather flustered Gray back up.

"This atmosphere helps me work. So, what are you doing here again? And from the squealing noise outside I say you bought the lion boy?"

"Well, this is Gray."

"Well, what does Gray want then?" Bull says, and pulls up a chair. Weirdly enough, Gray notices his facial expression seems to soften and his hair grows shorter.

"Gray needs a upgrade. Nothing major, update his core system, a fresh coating of pair and a general check-up."

"Huh?" Bull says, still in dreamland. Gray watches in amazement as the previous rather serious teen, is now half asleep complete with dopey expression and drool running down his chin.

"Great, only one way to deal with this. Show him your b-damon." Wen says, and Gray pulls out Chrome Zephyr from the case strapped onto his belt.

Immediately Bull's eyes light up as soon as he spots the b-damon and again goes through a startling transformation. His hair spikes up and turns a shade of bright orange, and he seems thoroughly re-energized.

He grabs the b-damon eagerly and examines it, and Gray's almost afraid that Bull might try to eat it or something.

"This….this is a work of ART! It's so AMAZING! I've never seen anything LIKE IT at all! It's not new or modern but it's design is AWESOME! How truly ONE of a KIND!" Now Bull – the one with the red hair Gray notices is literally shaking it and Gray gets ready to catch it incase he drops it.

"Yeah, it's great, now are you gonna fix it?" Wen interrupts and Bull is pulled out of his trance. Immediately the red hair droops down and he looks like what he did when Gray first saw him, shaggy navy blue hair covering one eye.

"Of course, I would be honoured to upgrade such a b-damon! Perhaps the roller core would suit you….or maybe the new blaster core? Oh, so many possibilities….and maybe….hm…" Bull rambles on, thinking of all the possibilities that were there.

"Hey, c'mon blondie." Wen waves a hand in front of Gray impatiently.

"Hm?" Gray raises a eyebrow, partly focused on Wen and partly focused on Bull who is now waving around his b-damon dangerously.

"I said, we have to go." Wen sighs impatiently, and grabs his hand.

"I'm not going." Gray states, he doesn't trust the guy enough to leave him alone with Chrome Zephyr. Especially not if the guy seemed to switch personalities in the blink of a eye.

"Yes, you are. Now stop being stubborn and irritating and LEAVE. Bull's a expert mechanic, even if he does seem to have multiple personalities."

"Hmph." That, Wen assumes is silent code for no way, I'm staying right here.

"Look alright, we've gotta get back, well I need to and I can't leave you here. Plus, you'll probably get lost or something – this is a big town."

"Proof."

"What?"

"Proof. Give me proof that he won't do anything to my b-damon."

Immediately Bull's hair spikes up again and turns orange. "DO YOU DARE DOUBT MY MECHANIC SKILLS? I AM THE BEST THERE IS!" He flings his arms around wildly and grabs a black b-damon from behind a stack of blueprints.

"SEE! THIS…. THIS IS GOING TO BE THE ULTIMATE B-DAMON…. REVOLVER HADES!"

Gray can't help take a in a deep breath, the b-damon…. is…amazing. Smooth, sleek, and although he can't recognize most of the features he can just feel its power pulsing through the room.

**That** was a work of art. He gingerly reaches out for it and picks it up, imagining what it would be like to battle with such a well-crafted b-damon and he can't even imagine it.

"Alright, you convinced?" Wen asks and hands the black b-damon back to Bull who has calmed down until his hair is once again navy blue and covering a eye.

"Fine. If anything happens to it, it's your fault." Gray states and turns towards the door.

"We have to go now." Gray turns around Wen's previous statement around and strides out the door, leaving the agitated Yong Fa to run after him.

-----------------

It was a long walk before they finally got back to the mansion and when they did, Wen immediately bolts off, muttering something about stubborn blondes, headache and painkillers.

Which left Gray, standing there – still confused as to how to get back to his room. Of course, it was again luck – or carefully planned coincidence that Joshua happened to come down with a rather reluctant Enjyu.

After more brief conversation, Gray managed to pick up that they were going to some sort of battle arena and then was mysteriously roped into babysitting Cain due to Joshua's magical powers of persuasion.

This was the reason why he was following the directions that he had been given after being magically persuaded to talk to someone that was undoubtly still hated him. From the vibes he could pick up, Cain had been way too emotional during their last b-da battle.

So after several corners he finally got to the master bedroom where he was pleasantly greeted by Cain who was smiling creepily at him. In a puppet like way, eyes wide open

"Hurry up and get undressed, will you?"

"What?"

"No, not like that – not that I would mind. I need someone to talk to."

"I'm only here because I was tricked into it?"

"Of course you are, Joshua has special powers or something, he can make anyone do anything."

"Hm."

"Anyway, I'm kind of glad he asked you, you're interesting."

"I am?"

"Uh-huh. You're new, so you have to be interesting. We never ever get boring people. Boring people aren't worth talking to."

Interesting…that was well, interesting that he had just been called that. As far as he was concerned, he was pretty damn boring and had always been that way. If this conversation continued, Cain was going to be sorely disappointed. "Well, I count as boring."

"Nuh-uh. You can't be boring. Boring. Normal. People. Don't. Come. Here." Cain says very slowly, like speaking to a stupid child. "So hurry up. I'm getting bored."

"Haven't you heard of manners?" Gray grumbles as he removes his poncho and sits gingerly on the edge of the four-poster bed as if it would bite him.

"Joshua lives here – he goes on politeness rants all the time. Anyway, from my company and the money it brings in, manners are unnecessary for me. Come in closer by the way. The bed won't bite you."

"No, but you might." Gray shoots back defensively before he realizes what he just said and clamps his mouth firmly shut.

"See, not boring! You aren't trying to attack me, molest me or are fainting because you're talking to me."

Long silence.

Little pout. "Aww….stop being boring…I mean you're cute and all but all I want is for someone to talk to me…." Cain's eyes widen pitifully and Gray can't help but be reminded of Liena.

"Fine. For a little while."

"Well, get inside. I'm cold and you're probably cold – all works out, body heat." Cain says innocently, and Gray glares back immediately.

Gray gives him a look, the there-is-no-way-in-hell-I-am-going-to-do-as-you-say look.

Amethyst eyes roll all the way up to the heavens and back. "Aww, come on. I won't bite, or do anything else to you."

"No. I have to go do something."

"Like……?"

"Like….call Liena."

Immediately purple eyes gleam and a hand shoots out and yanks Gray forcefully onto the bed.

"Who's Liena? A girlfriend?"

Not bothering to let Gray reply Cain cocks his head to the side thoughtfully, while still trapping Gray's wrist securely underneath his hand.

"That's kinda cute….how long have you been together?"

"Liena. Is. My. Sister."

"Oh…..I see….does she look like you?"

"She's my twin sister."

"No wonder I you look like a girl!"

"I do not look like a girl. And now that I just told you the reason, let go of my hand so I can go and call her."

"That's the most you've said to me….that was what thirty words or something? So you have a picture of her?"

"Ye-no."

"You do, don't you?" Cain asked accusingly.

"I don't have it with me."

"Liar, I bet it's in your pocket or around your neck or something….I mean you're probably bound to be one of those sentimental guys. I mean, aren't you here because of her? I was snooping around in Joshua's office and it says that you don't have any close relatives that are still alive so it has to be her."

"No. I have to go now."

Grip hardens.

"Nuh-uh. It's puppet playtime!" Eyes widen almost manically and Gray wonders if Cain is a total lunatic.

Loooooong silence.

"It's code for Joshua isn't here so we can fuck around as much as we want to. Literally and metaphorically."

Even longer silence. Body tries to move away rapidly.

"Anyway stop being so meannnnnnn!" Whiny voice and surprisingly frail wrist slamming trapped hand back onto the bed.

"Go bother someone else."

"God…you're so irritating and stubbornnnnnnnnn!"

"Second time someone's called me that today."

"Well, it's no wonder. I mean you are irritating and stubborn, you might be interesting too, but you're still like that!"

"Whiny. Immature. Clingy."

"What?" Eyes look puzzled; Gray is now reminded of a cat.

"Describes you."

Then it hits the violet-eyed teen. "Oh…that's what Joshua says whenever I bug him."

"Come to think of it, you do act a little like him. Only you don't say five necessary phrases to me each day. Good morning, please move you are in my way, go eat, leave me alone I have work and good night." Even though the pleasant almost creepy smile is still on his face, Gray can sense the subtle contempt and resentment from Cain's voice.

"So….blondie…what's your sister like?"

"Why?"

"Can't I be curious? I mean, it's not like I'm asking for a detailed report of your past or something….or who you think is the best looking in this place."

"Nice. Sweet. Naïve. Violent when provoked. Determined. Too empathetic for own good."

"God, why don't you ever speak in long full sentences?"

"I do."

"See, there you go again! Two words does not count as a sentence."

"It does."

While idle conversation continues Cain carefully studies Gray clothing searching for any hints of the tell tale picture, no wallet, those pants are way too tight in the pocket area to hide anything. The poncho is off and so it's not hung around his neck but on the discarded poncho…there it is, the flash of gold.

Immediately he lets go of Gray's hand and grabs the gold chain from the poncho, revealing a simple oval locket.

Flicking it open with ease Cain stares at almost mirror image of Gray, only with softer features, lighter and bigger eyes and slightly longer hair – but only slightly.

"See, I was right. She does look like you, what's her name?" Cain asks, this time softer – almost as if remembering.

"Liena." Cain can practically feel Gray's pride beaming through that stoic mask and suddenly he feels sick. Really sick, all that happiness and care crap makes him want to throw up.

"Liena huh?" The voice is still soft but slowly regaining it's composure. "Well, if you care for her that much, remember never to give the picture to Wen. He hits on anything female; under twenty-five and that is part of the human species. Right now, he stuck on our Tuesday mail delivery girl."

"Anyway, you can go now. I don't feel so good." Cain states and lies back down again.

"Night." The door slams shut and it leaves Cain alone again.

And he can't help it, it's like a automatic reaction and he whispers towards the door.

"Good night."

-------------------------------------------------

Eyes narrow down behind the decorated mask and she bends down, carefully taking aim.

"B-DA FIRE!" She screams out, letting her b-da ball fly across the table, easily hitting her opponent's b-damon and sending the other player flying back into the electric forcefield that surrounded the arena.

Another easy win, she thinks to herself and can't help feel a little bit guilty about the fact that she's out here. But this is the only way she can release stress and energy, she reminds- herself and the fact is that it's great playing out here.

"AND OUR REIGNING TOURNAMENT CHAMPION IS...MISTRESS X!!" The MC yells into the microphone and again the crowd goes wild. For the tenth time in this tournament.

Despite the fact that the arena was rather rickety - definitely not state of the art and that she's not sure this was even legal it was good playing here. She definitely liked it more than the 'legal' arenas, the rules were less strict and all that mattered was giving it all to gain another victory.

And best of all, all players went under alias so she didn't even have to worry about people who saw her. To them, she was the new mystery player, Mistress X.

But right now, with another tournament win under her belt she would need to head back to Sigma and she would be done for the night. Now, all that was left was her to dodge the idiots who trailed her night after night and all would be good.

Maybe she had been a little against the thought of this at first when Sigma had first suggested it but now, she wouldn't really give a damn whether it was legal or not. After all, when times change - adjustments have to be made.

-----------------------------------

Anyway, sorry that nothing much happened in this chappie but nxt chappie won't have much of Gray in it...sorry Gray fans. Instead, it will focus a little bit on Bull so expect some mild BullX?, and there will be some Red ThunderXMistress X moment and Haja appears!


	6. Chapter 6: Nighttime

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Kay, Chapter 6 is up! And yep, I'm getting into Season 2 territory. This chappie has Akyuras and Shin and has bits of Haja in it. For some reason I find it really easy to write Haja though….

So prepare for some EnjyuX???, EnjyuXMistress X and BullXCarat and a LONGGGGG chappie! Yep, this is what? 7000+ words? Hopefully this doesn't annoy ppl too much..;

**Nighttime**

Two young men stood at the back of the arena, moving out of the way as the satisfied fans departed slowly from the stands.

"Oi, remind me why the heck I'm in this hellhole again?" The one wearing the hood says annoyed, one hand on his b-damon incase someone decides to 'take a closer look.'

"First of all, it's called a unlicensed battle arena, not a hellhole. And I'm going to tell you again, we have a new player." The other one with a much more politer tone retorts – seemingly at home in this so-called 'hellhole' despite his obvious differences with the run-down battle stadium.

"All the rookies suck." The redhead complains.

"She's no rookie, and she isn't doing dives either." Is the response from the other.

"She? If she's not doing dives and she's in this dump, she's probably sucking old men in the back alley." Obviously the redheaded one does not have much trust in the moralities of this b-da player or humanity for that matter.

"No. Try again." The other one says, watching the last of the fans leave, dropping litter behind them.

"She's a Shadow recruit being ordered around by some higher up and needs to get a decent reputation to advance into higher ranks." This reply is a matter-of-fact tone, almost like it's inevitable.

"No." A red eyebrow rises several centimeters at the response, if that's a no, what is she then?

"Fine, I give. If she's not a sell-out, not a whore or a Shadow recruit then what the hell is she doing here?"

"I…don't know. She's another one of those. Like that Sigma, appears, fights and then disappears until next time."

"Great. What does this one call herself? The Great Wonder?"

"Mistress X."

"Definite dominatrix." There is a contemplative pause. "What's your point anyway? I'm going to have to face her, right?"

"You were supposed too, but it took too long getting here. She's just won tonight's tournament so she's heading back."

"Just follow her. Hopefully she doesn't just disappear like Sigma."

There is no response, the redheaded one pulls over his hood and leaves the green-haired one to wait for his return.

-------------------------------------------

Tonight wasn't supposed to be any different from any other one, Bull knows because while it has been a rather different day, night is always the same for him.

He knows this because every night he does the same routine. He goes for a walk. The destinations vary, sometimes he just goes through the alleyways, sometimes he heads out to the pier and sometimes he just stays at home staring at the stars through his attic window.

It's mildly chilly tonight, not very cold – but if you were in a neon halter neck with a short denim miniskirt and kitten heels about three inches high it was freezing. Of course, Bull, being a rather sensible yet at times in a rather dreamlike state always wore the same sensible ensemble. A white baggy t-shirt, purple oil stained overalls and a ragged yellow cape – while not fashionable in the least it was very practical for his sort of lifestyle.

Good for traveling, good for working with complicated and often messy equipment and good for warmth. All that he really needs.

This time he has not picked a destination, instead he lets his instincts take over and he just wanders around.

That's when he hears quiet sobbing. Crying.

Bull usually doesn't stop for this sort of thing, a lot of people go through emotional trauma everyday and if he helps one out, the others will expect him to help out as well. That would mean a permanent attachment to a person; the one thing Bull feared the most.

But as he walks past, he sees a petite looking girl, curled up in the corner whimpering and he knows that the guilt of leaving her there would follow him all week if he didn't at least stop. He'd just see if she needed something, if not he would leave he tells himself as he approaches quietly.

"Um, excuse me? What's the matter?" He asks quietly, standing at least metre away as not to startle her.

She looks up and for a second her eyes widen in fear. But when he makes no movement to come closer she takes a deep breath and Bull can almost tell that she's trying to make herself calm down.

"I-," she begins but can't say anymore so she stops and takes another breath. "I-I-do you have any b-batteries on you?" She manages to stammer out and then takes another breath to recompose herself.

"Batteries? What would you need them for? Anyway, I don't have any." Bull finishes, and is left wondering why she would need batteries. Shouldn't she want comforting words or money for a cab or something?

By now, the girl is looking up with new determination and manages to stand up with the aid of the wall that she was previously leaning against. "W-well, do you know the way back to the fountain?"

"Fountain? Oh, fountain. Yeah, I guess I'll take you there." Bull agrees, he has nothing better to do and now that he's made conversation he can't just leave her there.

"Oh, thank you! You're so kind and you haven't even introduced yourself…but I do suppose I haven't either." She stretches out her hand in formal greeting and Bull hesitantly places his hand in hers.

"Bull. And you are?" Bull suddenly feels very uncomfortable with this new situation and he almost wishes he left the girl back there.

"Nice to meet you Bull. My name is Carat and I'm delighted to make your acquaintance." By now, Bull is sure that he can feel the beams of happiness radiating from the girl.

"Well, we better get going," Bull mumbles quietly and he just hopes the girl doesn't realize how nervous she's making him. But from his impression, the girl is just glad that she's found a guide and is much too busy being grateful to notice anything else.

They walk for a few minutes in awkward silence and it's the girl who speaks first.

"So Bull, do you have any interests or hobbies perhaps?" She asks and Bull can't help but note that she has very pretty eyes. They're an amazing aqua green and it's like they're pulling him into them, which is why he concentrates on other things, like her rather ugly tiara.

"I like to b-da battle." He says simply and she nods but his eyes are now focused on the tiara. It's an ugly piece of gold or whatever it is, and it looks cheap on such a regal looking person. There are several gems on it that look like they have been stuck to it using glue and it is hideously shaped.

"B-da battle? I have heard of the sport and I find it quite interesting." This statement sounds sincere and she smiles before a frown flits across her face. "But father and Crust seem to think it is so very crude and not befitting one of my station so I'm afraid I have never seen it myself. Actually, father and Crust think few things are befitting of my station and most are very dull."

"Well, that's too bad isn't it?" He says and he can't help feel guilty as a look of hurt washes over her face. Before he can stop himself his mouth betrays him and "Look, I didn't mean anything by it. I mean, I'm sure if the choice was up to you, you would have wanted to see it."

She doesn't say anything at first and Bull suddenly feels like he's carrying a ton on each shoulder but then a small "Yes, I think so" comes out of her mouth and for some reason Bull feels extremely light – like he's floating on thin air.

Both, not knowing what to say after fall back into silence, only this time it's less awkward and more companionable.

By now, they have almost reached the fountain and Bull lets go of her hand with a blush as he finally realizes he has been holding it all this way.

"Uh…Carat?" He says and she turns towards him, and she too blushes as she realizes the previous contact.

"What is it Bull?" She replies feeling herself getting all hot underneath her silk ball gown and she suddenly feels very self-conscious, she must seem overly dressed to the rather good-looking boy who had helped her in her gown with the detailed embroidery.

"We're here, at the fountain." She squints a little and he's right, she can find her way back from here. Suddenly the thought strikes her that she, Carat had been walking in the night with a mysterious handsome stranger and she is positively mortified – that sounded like a scene from one of her much loved romance novels!

"Oh, thank you so much!" Carat exclaims and feels rather stupid doing so when he mumbles under his breath a rather unenthusiastic 'Whatever.'

I can't leave like this; she thinks and racks her brain for anything to say. Suddenly it hits her and on impulse she grabs his hand again.

"I would like to see you again Bull, maybe we could be friends," she whispers and he's totally caught up into the moment. He's staring into her eyes and she's doing the same and he's lowering his head to meet her lips and…then he snaps out of it.

He drops her hands like they as if they were on fire and turns a startling shade of red. "Maybe, yeah maybe." He says and then disappears into the night, leaving Carat behind equally embarrassed at her rather un-ladylike behavior.

Was I really about to have my first kiss stolen by a stranger? She thinks but as she berates herself on un-ladylike behavior she can't help think, 'And if he did kiss me, would it really be so bad?'

Clearing her mind, she stores him away in the back of her mind along with her daydreams of being rescued by a magical prince and puts herself back into her Ms. Watts character.

Prim, proper Ms Watts who would never dream of such a thing. Ms Watts, the model daughter, ladylike, demure and soft-spoken. Ms Watts, who needed to be back at her own party – held in honour of her sixteenth birthday.

-------------------------------------------

She had been walking for at least twenty minutes now, and still the person was following her.

It wasn't as if the person was particularly noisy or clumsy, in fact his footsteps were barely inaudible. She has decided it is a him, as she assumes a female's steps would be a lot lighter and less brisk.

Another corner goes past her as she ducks into another alley way but yet the person has not given up. Strange, she thinks. This person is highly skilled, she has been followed many times – by people she assumes are working for a criminal syndicate she has heard about called the Shadow.

This person is not like the usual ones they send after her, they have not stumbled over aluminum cans, tripped over the cracks in the footpath or have been distracted by various members of the city's red-light-district. This one is not an idiot.

And they don't seem to want to give up either, which poses another problem. How is she supposed to get to her destination without being followed? Or revealing Sigma's identity?

Suddenly a tin rolls and she turns around, trying to pinpoint the source. There is no wind, unfortunately so she cannot receive any signals so she settles for a long look around. Then she continues.

She can hear a relieved sigh, not because she has super-hearing, simply because a small breeze has whistled past her ear. Now she wishes she had a watch, she should've brought one along for now she was no longer sure of the time.

Not that she wasn't sure she was running late, she had been aimlessly walking around in order to avoid her stalker but he hadn't given up so now she would have to rely on luck. And she hated relying on luck; luck was totally unreliable – only those that are stupid or have a great quantity of it can actually rely on it.

And she was certainly not stupid nor did she have a great quantity of it. Which meant she couldn't really rely on that either. She would have to go straight there and hope the guy wasn't determined enough to find her in crowds of dancing people.

Noting the familiar surroundings, she calculates about five more minutes of walking until she would reach her destination. A red-light-district club Red and Blue, which was rumored to being run by the Shadow.

She certainly didn't doubt that rumour. While she had only been here for a short time, she was already aware of the wide influence that this Shadow had over the city. They seemed to be connected to everything and everyone, one way or another.

Plus she had already been there several times, it was the perfect place to get in and out of costume, most who went there wouldn't bat a eye at a person coming in with three heads so a chick in a superhero styled costume was nothing new. That, and while it would've been considered 'sleazy' it was full every night which made blending in that much easier.

By now she had reached said club and she could already hear the music blaring from the building. Today seemed to be a busy night from the extra security and it looked like a special event one too. Costume maybe? Probably not, most goers only wore masks – some intricately detailed others replicas of well-known superheroes and villains. Maybe a mask only, hopefully Sigma has brought her an appropriate mask.

Suddenly a burst of wind flies past her ear and she shivers. There are more people now, they're in groups but not connected to the solo figure from before.

She hears shuffling as well, and a quiet cursing as one of the new ones bangs his b-damon on a wheelie bin rather obviously. There is lots of shhing from his or her companions.

Then she hears running footsteps and she turns around, her fist right behind her sending her assailant flying. She's lucky, she tells herself – that had been a wildcard and it was luck that she had hit the person - again she is grateful for her reflexes.

A him. Probably the one cursing from before, realized cover was blown anyway so decided to go for attack instead.

More footsteps, several pairs. These are probably other members of this person's group.

She crouches down as she tries to clear her mind. One from right, one from left and….no one else, at least not yet.

They jump out, b-damons in front of them, firing away and she fumbles for a second before loading her own.

There's a boy and a girl she guesses from their figures and they're not very good at aiming. Full of energy but no real skill.

But as one skims the top of the left wing on her b-damon she has to admit their b-da skills aren't that bad. Or perhaps it's the b-damon that's doing all the work, after all sometimes skills don't matter when your b-damon makes up for it.

She can sense more approaching so she makes a strategic retreat, she can't head for the club – it would cause too much of a scene so instead she fires several shots and runs through them going the way she came.

The footsteps are pounding behind her and she runs faster but her costume is heavy and slows her down. Despite that though, her speed is more than enough to keep them at bay…at least until she gets tired, she thinks.

Maybe five others now, she estimates and wonders how she can take them all on without suffering too much damage. She probably can't do it without taking a bit of damage but she's going to try anyway, better trying than giving up. Or maybe she could pull a classic damsel in distress and scream for help – but that would probably attract more attention.

Attention was always bad, so she picks the first. Putting herself at a good lookout point by scrambling up a fire escape of a dirty looking apartment she pulls out her b-damon again and reloads until it's full.

As soon as the first one comes, she shoots and she can't help let a smile grace her features as the unfortunate b-da player hops around, trying not to get hit. Then the next few, she's got a advantage here, she's got a excellent look-out point and the others were too busy trying not to get hit by the onslaught of b-da balls raining down on them to attack back.

She's still shooting when she realizes her mistake. Her advantage also provided the enemy some extra advantages as well. Very big advantages, she realizes as the rickety balcony shakes as a b-da ball hits it.

The group has reorganized itself now and are now aiming, not at her but at the balcony that is holding her. Balance is very tricky, and she has to put one hand on the moving rail to steady herself.

Her shooting is shaky and less accurate now as well, with only one hand to balance on and she thinks about clambering onto the roof somehow. If only, that sort of thing only happens in action movies she thinks bitterly and tries to pick out a target.

That's when she sees the first red b-da ball rushing past her face, nearly hitting her ear and swerving around to the nearest one with a b-damon.

She looks up to see a redheaded male with icy blue eyes in a brown cape and she automatically puts him as the one had been following her first. He's different, he moves differently and he has the skill needed.

He fires another three shots and knocks the opponents down swiftly. Then he jumps down from the rooftop to her like some wannabe hero rescuing his damsel. Arrogant show off.

She ignores him and shoots the last one down - she's not letting him do all the work so he can brag about it. The shield flips down and the owner of the b-damon is thrown down the ground from the force. They leave – just as quickly as they came. And she notes that one of them is injured, as he is limping and is balanced between other members. She knows that she didn't cause that injury.

The Heroic Man of Mystery did. Personally, the world would be better off without those types but she is sort of grateful that he did show up. It did make it a lot easier. But if she tried hard enough, she probably could've finished them off after a lot of concentrating, or maybe Sigma would've showed up.

"Hey, you alright?" He asks and his arrogant tone seeps through. She hasn't even said a word to him yet and she's already sure that she doesn't want to.

"Yeah. You know, I would've been fine if you didn't come anyway." Is her reply, she doesn't want Mr. Bigshot's head to explode from her enternal gratitude.

"Hey, I just helped you out there." He protests and she can tell she's getting under his skin – good, she knows that she can't keep up her cover for much longer. The adrenaline from the b-da battle's fading away and soon she's going to be normal, vulnerable and make stupid nice decisions.

"Well, thanks. Just don't do it next time." She mutters and begins climbing down.

"Sure, next time I'll just sit up here and laugh while you fall off alright?" Now he's climbing down with her, and she wonders if she can ask him to move down behind her so she can kick him 'accidentally' in the face.

"Can you move down a bit?" She asks and he smirks at her.

"Why? So you can 'accidentally' kick me in the face with those boots of yours?" Her rather guilty body language proabbly confirms his suspicions and she wonders if she's that easy to read. That, or the guy's psychic. Probably the first, people always told her she was easy to read which was why she wore the mask.

She jumps down and walks off and she knows he's still following her. "So…where are you going?"

"None of your business," she snaps and pointedly ignores him. She can practically feel his smirk widening.

"And stop smirking at me. At least my cape doesn't look like a potato sack." Now she doesn't get anymore comments which means he's decided to shut up, good – very good.

"It does not. Plus don't you think the superhero theme's a little tacky?" He doesn't know when to shut up. Not to mention he's incredibly annoying – especially that infuriating 'I'm so much better than you' tone he uses.

She doesn't comment, she's not going to waste her breath on a person who doesn't deserve it. Even if she really wants to give him a piece of her mind.

She keeps walking and he is still next to her, babbling on about something. Probably about her costume which is rather hypocritical of him as she meant that comment about the potato sack cape.

It's really annoying, in fact it's annoying even when she's not looking at him and has tuned his voice out. She just knows that he is annoying her…somehow.

Finally she snaps. Before she planned on ditching him as soon as they got, merging into the crowd but she has a better solution. More risky, but would be much more satisfying.

"Hey." She says and turns around to face him.

"You've got something in your eye." The line is cheesy and totally stupid but he gets the message.

She leans towards him and she mentally tries to remember where the spot is. Her lips meet his and she pulls her arms around his neck.

He's a better kisser than some others, she notes sourly as she remembers her first kiss. That had been…awkward and unwanted – which had resulted in her fist pummeling itself into the boy's nose. To be totally honest, this is only the second person she's ever kissed properly. That boy didn't count, his lips were on her for about three seconds before his nose got broken. And then Sigma, but that had been sort of more friends with benefits, comforting sort of kiss.

The spot, the spot…she tries to remember as she feels his tongue slip into her mouth and although the thought of sharing saliva with a total stranger who was previously stalking her is not pleasant, the feeling of the kiss is. Nice but still kind of weird, as she was sharing it with said total stranger.

That's when she remembers it again. Pressing her lips further against his, she leans up and grabs onto his neck, slowly massaging it until her fingers got to the vital spot. She pushes down hard and she hopes she's done it right as she pulls away lets a small smile escape.

"Well, what do you know? Not only do you save damsels in distress, your kissing skills aren't half bad." This conversation is totally unnecessary, it just takes a few minutes for it to work and from the mystery man's wide eyes…it's working. He snarls something incomprehensible and if she did understand she has feeling it would go something like "Censored, censored, censored."

"See you around then," she says and blows him a kiss before heading back to the club. From behind her she hears a satisfying thump and congratulates herself on mission complete. Still, she can't help lift a finger to her lips, which still seem to be tingling from...contact.

---------------------------------------

When Enjyu opens his eyes again, he briefly estimates that at least five minutes have passed, no shorter, no longer.

Stupid, he berates himself – not only had he, Enjyu – former top ranking Shadow member who's best field was stealth was utterly fooled by some girl in a costume with a simpering voice and nice body.

Only someone as…well, sexually absorbed as Wen would usually fall for something that basic. And while he couldn't say he was exactly a prude, Enjyu didn't go for relationships and crap. He had tried it a couple of times too, so you couldn't say that you would never know unless you tried and the times he had? It had been all-good until something just had to happened and it had bombed down as quickly as it had risen. That was relationships and love for you.

He wasn't too far away from the club he was sure the girl had been heading too, and after a few minutes of running, he's back at the entrance.

He glares hatefully at the neon red and blue club sign and wonders if he should just go. The girl he was following has probably run for it by now, and if he went it all that would happen was that he would doubtlessly attract attention. On the other hand, if he didn't go in and Joshua happened to ask about it he would have to lie and Joshua – who was a human lie detector would instantly sense it and send him back anyway.

So he decided to save time and just take a quick look. Five minutes, he promised himself – five minutes of surveillance and then he would leave. No one would ever need to know that he was there.

Security stops him before he sends a piercing glare and they let him through. Inside, it's just how he remembers it, dark – with red and blue spotlights shining on the dance floor occasionally.

There is already a multitude of bodies gyrating on the floor together to some mix that sounds like a hybrid between some people with hoarse voices shouting into microphones along with heavy drum beats and the newest pop song by some girl group who do more dancing than singing.

The bar is full as well, and some teen who probably needs some extra cash is there trying to balance between cleaning up, impressing a group of girls wearing coordinated outfits and trying to keep two drunk men who are about to enter a brawl.

Enjyu decides on the bar. If he's going to sit here for five minutes, he might as well have something to drink. He orders and after giving the guy at the counter a good stare, he is immediately served much to the anger of some others who have been waiting for much longer. He gives them a equally pointed stare and they shut up and the grumbling fades away.

He takes a full gulp and contemplates finishing it in one go but decides against it. Once he gets started, he always never seems to finish until his system can't take anymore of it.

"Hey there little boy…" A snakelike voice hisses from behind him and he can literally feel the hairs on his body rising. Only one person would ever call him that….Haja.

A long bony arm is slung around his neck and he can almost feel Haja's breath on his neck. Why, why did Haja have to appear everytime he went anywhere near Shadow territory? "What's wrong? Don't tell me my little Enjyu is mad at Haja?"

Enjyu holds his breath and tries to look at something else, the floor, the posters on the wall, anything except for the other and finally decides on a blonde girl wearing a aqua mask with sliver sequins dancing along with the crowd.

"Oh, so cold, so cold!" He can hear the voice hissing dramatically as the grip tightens around his neck. Now the girl has merged with a group and all he can see of her is her blonde hair bopping up and down with the beat.

"Well, Haja is not nearly as cold…and why haven't you come for so long?" Enjyu flinches as he feels a slimy wet tongue trail up against his ear and he chants in his mind 'Do not move, do not move.'

"Ahh…Haja knows all, it is because it was too much heartbreak to see your number one idol Haja, was it?" From the thump, he assumes Haja has taken a seat next to him and he still concentrates on the girl who has come back into view again and she's laughing with some other guy.

"Or…maybe it was because you were trying hard to not miss us little Enjyu…your darling Haja…or maybe that Bierce?" Enjyu can feel Haja's head leaning onto his shoulder and he now the feeling is all over him, like little bugs – no, scorpions are crawling all over his body.

"But of course, ahahaha! He doesn't even remember anymore! But Haja cares, Haja cares for you deep, deep down." Now Haja's hand is ruffling his hair but he still manages to stay still, movement would just be encouraging him. Now the girl has backed away and leans back against a wall to rest.

"In fact, Haja has been talking to others….hmm? And it would do little Enjyu good to come back, we all miss you very, very much you know." Now the tongue has moved on from his ear to his face and Enjyu tries very hard but unsuccessfully to not shudder. The blonde girl is now looking at them, not in a grossed out way, more in a unsuccessfully trying to hide a snicker way.

"And they would welcome you back with open arms you know, just a few promises of being a good little boy and VOILA! Haja can help you know…" With Haja invading his private space, Enjyu can't stand it any longer. The freak is far too close for his comfort.

He rises for and shakes the other off and tries to think of a possible escape route. Then he spies the girl, still leaning up against the wall and a small smile appears. Ignoring the 'Come back my dear Enjyu!' he walks towards her and as she looks up with an amused smile he grabs her wrist.

"C'mon."

Leading her out onto the dance floor he suddenly remembers his earlier resolution not to dance to the crap that they called music, he throws that notion out of his head and drags her to the center where everyone merges.

"Gee, so eager are we?" She says, and Enjyu has to admit, she has a really nice voice – chirpy but not annoyingly so. The thing that stands out most to him is that irritating smile, that very familiarly annoyingly smug smile that probably isn't even meant to seem like that.

He decides to play along; he might as well be nice. "Well, it's you we're talking about, why wouldn't I be eager?" He replies back smugly and as he scans the crowd he can no longer see Haja above the bobbing heads of the dancers. Mission success.

There is another tinkling bell laugh. "Come on, I bet you only asked me because the snake-man was licking your ear, or was it your face?" She banters back knowingly and it's frustrating for Enjyu as that same self-knowing smile appears again.

"I would've asked you if there wasn't a snake-man anyway, you're way too cute to be left alone." He shoots back but that annoying smile is still there.

"Really? I don't think so, you only twitched about twenty times back there." She smirks and then Enjyu realizes he hasn't been the only one who's been observing people. But he can't say he likes the girl despite the fact that he assumes she is fairly pretty under the mask and has a nice voice, but he supposes she isn't boring either or a total stereotype.

But still, the smile is still there. Like…like she's subconsciously laughing at him.

Then there is laughter. Conscious laughter. The girl looks up, flushed from laughing and apologizes. "Look, I'm sorry – you just looked so cute there with your face all scrunched up like that."

Cute? Now Enjyu seriously doubts this girl's sanity, not only is she not gushing like a lovesick fangirl or running away in fear she has just called him cute. Because he scrunched his nose up which apparently equaled to cuteness, which Enjyu was fairly sure he was incapable of being in the first place.

Immediately he sends out a signature glare and she is subdued…sort of, enough so that she has stopped snickering but that smile is there. By now the song has stopped and a new one is now starting to blare through the speakers.

"Fine then, dark, scary and handsome – what's your name?" She asks removing her hand from his.

"E-Thunder. Yours?" He replies slowly pulling away from her.

The smile softens, until it almost seems adorable – like on a small child. "Grace," she says and waves a hand. "Well, I gotta go, see you around." She sends an insincere wink towards him that just proves his theory that Grace is NOT her name and walks off.

And then just like that, she's gone and merged back into the crowd towards a taller musty blonde in the doorway and he suddenly remembers the time. Five minutes huh, he sighs as he looks over at a watch left on a table. More like twenty minutes.

Time to head back, and he starts for the door moving through the crowd until he's finally reached the exit.

He gets out and he runs for it, as far away from the club as his legs will take him. When he finally tires, he is no more than a block away from the battle arena and he takes in a deep breath.

Weakness. That was what that had been, a moment of weakness. He needed to get over it, but that was what he had thought this time, that time and every other time. That he could put it all behind him and move on – but it looked like that wasn't going to be happening anytime soon.

------------------------------------------------------------

Bull has no idea what time it is now, tonight's been…different.

It's probably time to head back now anyway, he decides and traces his route back to his shop. He needs to get back, who knows what could be happening at his shop and while Bull does not have entirely pessimistic views on humanity, he is sure that if someone was desperate enough to have

And then the girl. She's…different. Bull isn't sure what to make of her, sure she's not ugly – in fact she's pretty in a princessy way but she's seems so…unobtainable. Like part of a dream, nice but somehow not real, not to Bull anyway.

Carat. That's her name, he remembers and he puts that down in people he will never meet again. He doesn't doubt his conclusion, she seems well brought up, probably part of some esteemed family and he notes scornfully that she probably won't even remember him tomorrow.

But for a rich girl, she didn't seem so bad. Sure she was a classic example, totally clueless about the real world, easily frightened and far too trusting to survive for long alone but for a second she had seemed to have some extra depth.

When she had looked up and thanked him, she had seemed genuinely grateful not just uttering the mannerisms. And when she had asked about him, she had seemed genuinely interested as well, like she had actually wanted to know more about him.

But what stuck with Bull the most was one little comment.

_I would like to see you again Bull, maybe we could be friends. _

If it had been any other rich girl, Bull would have laughed at the insincerity of it all. But that Carat, she had looked at him with those blue eyes and said it as if she had meant it, and in that second when he had replied with a 'Maybe,' there was something more there, hopefulness, yearning and loneliness. Like she really wanted him as a friend.

This scares him a little, the idea of being friends with someone – being emotionally attached to a human being. He brushes the idea off, telling himself that it was just his hormones because they nearly kissed. That memory itself sends him blushing again.

He's almost back at his little shop, which doubled as a house when he suddenly sees two figures. And they're banging at his door, burglars. Immediately, he feels the tingling feeling and he reverts into his third mode.

"NO ONE'S GONNA BREAK INTO MY SHOP AND GET AWAY WITH IT!" His hair spikes up and rushes towards the shadowy figures, b-damon firing away. The first figure leaps to the other's defense and as he comes closer Bull realizes it is an animal of some sort, a large dog perhaps.

He tries to dodge but the animal has much faster reflexes – however Bull's in kamikaze mode and rushes on towards the hopefully human figure that seems to be swaying(?) in the background.

Doggie doesn't seem ready to give up, even as several b-da balls hit it's legs and it jumps up and latches onto Bull's arm…with his rather sharp canine teeth. Bull lets out a stream of curses but continues on, doggie isn't biting very hard – almost like he just wants to hold Bull back, not injure him.

"Please, stop, listen to me!" A voice says but strangely enough it doesn't come from the figure that is now swaying harder than ever, in fact Bull almost thinks it's the dog talking.

"He's hurt!" Seems to really be the dog and as he looks over, it's the mouth of the dog that is mouthing those syllables. This shocks him, and as quick as that he has reverted back to second form. Kamikaze mode is over.

That does not mean he is not keeping his one visible eye on the shadowy figure in the background. "Hey are you really talking to me doggie?"

"Of course I am, and I am not a dog! I am a WOLF." The shadowy figure seems tired and is now leaning back against the wall. Bull takes care to study what he can see in the dim lights of the street.

"Yeah, sure thing Bingo. So, what are you doing sneaking around my shop?" Shadowy figures is male. Long hair, more than half a head taller than Bull.

"Was this yours? It doesn't have a sign or anything," the dog comments. Has cape, probably not wearing shirt or wearing very tight shirt, long pants – one ripped leg. Tanned.

"Doesn't need a sign, I know my own shop and the people that matter know it too." No b-damon, Bull notes. Strange, anyone who's anyone or is planning on breaking in usually owns a b-damon.

So if he wasn't trying to break in, what was he staring at the shop for? You can't see anything through the windows anyway; Bull remembers he had them specially done so you could only see outside from inside.

The wolf or was it a dog, is about to say something when suddenly his eyes seem to glow(?), transforming the pupils into eerie orbs. And as quickly as it happens, it's suddenly gone and the dog immediately runs over to the shadowy figure who appears to have collapsed.

"Whoever you are, help! He's in danger!" The dog (or so Bull has now deemed it) has run over and is now frantically dragging at the loose navy cloth.

Help? Danger? Now this was running into forbidden territory. Bull hadn't grown up here, but the city was clearly divided for him, citizens, Shadow and Prince. If you needed help or danger, chances were you were involved in either the Shadow or the Prince. And if you were involved in any of those that meant you were potentially dangerous.

Bull had always been a normal. He had never been on any side, always a middleman. He had never talked to Shadow, or Prince cronies. Being a middleman was safe, and if he listened to his logical side it would tell him to slam the door and go inside where it was safe – leaving the others outside to fend for themselves. Survival of the fittest, or more likely smartest.

But on the other hand, leaving them outside would also be dangerous – if they really was not involved in anything and the wolf had meant the man/teen/boy was in danger of some sickness that would be bad.

Not only would his three consciences suffer greatly, if police came by the next morning on patrol and discovered a dead body outside HIS front door they would probably suspect him. Which would mean a search, which would mean possibly revealing some of his more dangerous b-damons – the ones with extra (illegal) features.

"Are you going to help or not?" Now the wolf is dragging the body closer to him and Bull makes a decision. Not for the good of mankind, more for his own safety than anything but he can't help think that he made a good decision despite the possible consequences.

Taking a quick look around and seeing no other figures, he walks over and lifts the figure up. Now in better view, Bull has certified that this is probably a teen and while certainly not looking very menacing he knows that appearances can be deceiving.

The body is thin, almost painfully thin so that he can see faintly see the ribs and there are several gashes and bruises now visible to him. The body is also very light, so that instead of carrying what he assumes to be a sixteen-year-old boy it feels like he's only carrying a ten-year-old.

Still, even knowing it's the right thing to do doesn't make Bull any less paranoid. He unlocks the door making sure that the wolf doesn't see the password for his security system and then after a suspicious stare at the duo he lets them in.

He switches on a light and dumps the body on a small portable sofa in the waiting room. The teen doesn't awaken and the wolf immediately bounds over to nuzzle him.

"Alright Fifi, here's the deal. I get that…what's his name over there is hurt, so you guys can stay for the night. But I need something in return."

Immediately 'Fifi' shakes it's head furiously. "I'm sorry, if you want information…"

"No. What I do want if for you guys to hightail it by tomorrow morning all right? I don't care what's wrong with him, who's chasing you or what you've done. What I care is that I don't get mixed up with it, all right?"

There is a moment's silence and then the wolf lets out a sigh of relief. "Thank you. We oblige to your request, we will be gone by tomorrow." This rather formal reply is interrupted by a shuffling sound and it seems the boy has woken up.

The looks over at Bull and the way he looks at him, Bull's mind immediately replaces him with a wild animal that has suddenly been cornered. Fifi nudges him however and slowly the boy calms down enough to look at Bull without too much fear. They exchange looks and the wolf nods in turn to the boy's questioning eyes. Bull can only imagine that the wolf is talking about their current location for the night.

Suddenly Bull's stomach rumbles and he reverts back into his least threatening mode and a sheepish smile comes out. "Oops, guess I'm kinda hungry aren't I? Well, Fifi and…"

"Akyuras." The wolf says after the boy nods again. "And my name is Shin, not Fifi."

"So Fifi and Akyuras, you guys want something to eat too?" He notices the suprised yet grateful nod from the boy and the wolf and he finally realizes their condition.

Both look tired, and the boy has several bruises on his arm and torso. And now that he looks at the boy in light, he realizes the boy is probably older than he took him for, possibly older than Bull himself but scarily skinny so that his ribs are visible. The wolf is equally malnourished and resembles a skinny half-starved dog instead of a wolf.

Suddenly, Bull is very glad that he took them in after all. Even if their presence endangered his shop, he has a feeling that if they were left outside another night and were found by their pursuers – they wouldn't have made it to next morning.

So plz R&R!!


End file.
